The Veil in Kuwait

PART I: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Significance of the Study 1.2. Previous Research 1.3. Kuwaiti Society 1.4. Gulf University for Science and Technology 1.5. Methodology PART II: THE SURVEY 2.1. Survey Measures 2.2. Family Background 2.3. Limitations 2.3.1. General Context and Difficulties of the Survey 2.3.2. The 'East-West' Problem 2.4. Preliminary Conclusion PART III: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 3.1. The Central Question: Why do you Veil? 3.1.1. First Findings: Answers of 'Covered Girls' 3.1.2. Second Findings: Answers of 'Uncovered Girls' 3.1.3. Third Findings: Answers of 'Male Students' 3.2. The 'Protect Women from Men' Argument 3.3. The Feminist Argument 3.4. Preliminary Conclusion 3.5. Religion as a Factor 3.5.1. Praying Attitudes 3.5.2. Knowledge of the Scriptures 3.5.3. The Qur'anic Passages 3.6. Social Interactions and Mutual Perceptions 3.6.1. Culture and Religion 3.6.2. Perception and Self-Perception 3.6.3. Respect and Virtue 3.6.4. Different Perceptions of 'Male Attention' 3.6.5. Combining the Hijab with Western Clothes and 'Veiling Fashion' 3.6.6. Does the Hijab Enhance the Woman's Beauty? 3.6.7. Preliminary Conclusion: Unequal Perceptions and the Question of Tolerance PART IV: THE GUILT/SHAME PARADIGM 4.1. Modesty and Fitna 4.2. Shame and Guilt in Islamic Culture 5. Conclusion 5.1. The Paradox of Veiling Fashion 5.2. Overall Evaluation of Responses Bibliography Appendix: The Questionnaires

Author Thorsten Botz-Bornstein: Thorsten Botz-Bornstein is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Gulf University of Science and Technology, Kuwait. Author Noreen Abdullah-Khan: Noreen Abdullah-Khan is Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Gulf University of Science and Technology, Kuwait.