Abstract:
Humans have different customs, cultures, and values depending on the
environment in which they live. Clothing is no exception. But Islamic women's
clothing is seen as one of the most talked-about topics in Sri Lanka in recent times,
facing many controversies worldwide. The main reason for this is the
misunderstandings that exist among people from other communities. This study,
therefore, examines the perspective on Islamic women’s clothing among non-Muslims, based at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and presents how steps
can be taken to mitigate the misconceptions among them. The objectives of this
study are to explore the clarity that can be found among Muslim women regarding
the dress code that Islam imposes on women, to examine the perspective of other
religions on Islamic dress and if negative thoughts are found among other
religions, to find out the reason and make suggestions to mitigate them. This study
is a descriptive statistical study. Samples were selected through convenience
sampling at the Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo and to obtain the primary
data 100 Questionnaire was given to obtain through the online medium (Google
form). Secondary data such as books, research articles, dissertations, and the
Internet were also used to obtain additional data. 28% of those surveyed did not
have a proper understanding of Islamic women’s clothes. A further 11.9 %
believed women were being oppressed because of such clothing. Hence
organizing cultural events (Hijab Day) among students to discredit such
misunderstandings, women often care about their color when choosing their
clothes, and avoid black clothing, in cases where they are able to work with the
majority community especially during group activities, fully express their
personalities while remaining within the Islamic rules and resolving their doubts
by interacting beautifully with other communities are recommended in this study.
