What else could it be, besides hiding a woman from who she is and letting her be free. In the Muslim religion in India the veiling and seclusion of women is known as purdah. "Purdah is the practice that includes the seclusion of women from public observation by wearing concealing clothing from head to toe and by the use of high walls, curtains, and screens erected within the home. Purdah is practiced by Muslims and by various Hindus, especially in India. The limits imposed by this practice vary according to different countries and class levels, (Shirazi). Generally, those women in the upper and middle class are more likely to practice all aspects of purdah because they can afford to not work outside the home. .
"Purdah probably developed in Persia and later spread to Middle Eastern lands. Purdah flourished in ancient Babylon, (Shirazi). No woman could go outside unless masked and chaperoned by a male from the family. Even parts of the household were separated as a practice of segregation. The ancient Assyrian women also had to remain inside behind the idea of purdah to their religion. The prophet Muhammad reintroduced the custom as part of the Islamic tenets of faith. As time went by the laws associated with purdah became more severe. During the British domination in India, the observance of purdah was very strictly adhered to and widespread among the Muslims. .
Some critics see purdah as an evil influence that has only suffocated the rights of women and perpetuated male chauvinism. They point towards the Muslims in India who have shut off women from the outside world in order to make them ignorant of the practicalities of life. To them it has deprived the woman of economic independence and forces these females to produce chauvinistic boys and submissive girls. In order to keep females submissive, women know only what their fathers, husbands, and sons want them to know. Many say that women who practice purdah as having no voice or free will.
