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 on 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 were 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 cloths. 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, 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.
