Double-layered Veils and Despair … Women Describe Life under Isis

Veiled women sit on a bench in Raqqa in March last year. Women
are now instructed to wear double-layered veils, loose abaya and gloves.

THE GUARDIAN: Islamic State has imposed a strict dress code in areas it controls in Iraq and Syria, with punishments of fines or beatings for those who do not comply

Women living under Islamic State’s control in Iraq and Syria are facing increasingly harsh restrictions on movement and dress, which are rigorously enforced by religious police and are leading to resentment and despair among moderate Muslims.

Residents of Mosul, Raqqa and Deir el-Zour have told the Guardian in interviews conducted by phone and Skype that women are forced to be accompanied by a male guardian, known as a mahram, at all times, and are compelled to wear double-layered veils, loose abayas and gloves.

Their testimonies follow the publication this month of an Isis “manifesto” to clarify the “realities of life and the hallowed existence of women in the Islamic State”. It said that girls could be married from the age of nine, and that women should only leave the house in exceptional circumstances and should remain “hidden and veiled”. » | Mona Mahmood | Tuesday, February 17, 2015