In much of the Western world today, the word headscarf is often automatically associated with those worn by women for religious reasons, especially Muslim women. Yet the idea and practice of covering one’s head with cloth transcends religious, cultural and geographic categories. The show “Veiled, Unveiled! The Headscarf” at Vienna’s Weltmuseum (World Museum) puts headscarf diversity on display.

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I met two innocent girls singing at a crossroads during my trip to the Kashmir valley. There was an exuberance infused in their song and they were dancing without any care for tomorrow. It was probably a folk song. I don’t remember the girls’ names now. But I still recall their fondness for Maggi. One of them told me that whenever they got money from the tourists, they immediately headed to spend it at a local food stall. This little encounter with the two happy and talented souls stayed with me as a serendipitous memory for some time.

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An exhibition at the de Young museum in San Francisco is trying to lift the prejudices surrounding fashion for Muslim women. Modern yet modest.

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Kashmir is a region of unmatched beauty. The valley’s breathtaking serenity attracts thousands of tourists every year. Saddeningly, it is also marred by frequent violence due to conflict and militancy.

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Thanaka, a paste that has been used for centuries to protect skin from the sun, is traditionally applied in swirls to the cheeks of Rohingya Muslim women. Itʹs a custom female refugees in Bangladesh are keen to preserve.

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Were it not for the timely intervention of women down the centuries, many an Islamic dynasty would have torn itself apart.

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Mehrunnisha Shaukat Ali is a woman, a Muslim and a bouncer in a nightclub in New Delhi. She faces many challenges, mainly from men.

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