Bianca Frazier once said "Dress how you want me to talk to you." With this quote he meant to suggest that the way people dress affects the way others approach them. People from different cultures dress differently and have different beliefs about what is acceptable and what is not. In Islamic culture, women beyond the age of puberty are required to wear the so-called hijab in public. The hijab is worn differently in different parts of Islamic society, but the main parts associated with the hijab are the headscarf, the abaya, and the niqqab. The way outsiders and insiders view the Islamic dress code for women in Islamic culture is very different. When outsiders see the hijab, what they see is something mysterious and unknown. They don't understand why they wear it. They look at a Muslim woman and her fully covered body and see something rigid and restrictive. In their culture, for a woman to wear what she likes without restrictions is the norm and having a certain dress code to tolerate is considered restrictive. A woman's body is seen by non-Muslims as great art that can be displayed, and to hide it is to not appreciate that art. Furthermore, when outsiders look at the scarf tied around the Muslim woman's head, they see something oppressive and backward. They believe that the veil is imposed on girls and women to oppress them and deprive them of their basic freedom. It is also considered backward because it is not in the same fashion line as the rest of Western clothing. Strangers look at the long black abaya and see something unbearable to wear. In their understanding, having to wear such a long, trailing dress is intolerable; wearing shit... middle of paper... hijab. Muslims look at the niqqab and see it as something worn by women with high religious status. It is worn by people who believe that a woman's face is also a sign of beauty, so they hide it as another step towards preserving themselves. The Islamic dress code for women is viewed very differently by outsiders and insiders. Outsiders see the hijab as something backward that suppresses the freedom of Muslim women. Insiders see the hijab as a way to represent purity and modesty and a path to get closer to God. The two views have led to misconceptions and misunderstandings between Muslims and non-Muslims. Non-Muslims should educate themselves more about the different aspects of hijab and be more open-minded and understanding towards it. Muslims should not use the hijab as a fashion or political statement and try to maintain its purpose of modesty.