Hijab is an Arabic word meaning barrier or partition. In Islam, however, it has abroader meaning. It is the principle of modesty and includes behavior as wellas dress for both males and females. The most visible form of hijab is the headcovering that many Muslim women wear. Hijab however goes beyond the head scarf.In one popular school of Islamic thought, hijab refers to the complete coveringof everything except the hands, face and feet in long, loose and nonsee-through garments. A woman who wears hijab is called Muhaajaba. Muslim women are required to observe the hijabin front of any man they could theoretically marry. This means that hijab isnot obligatory in front of the father, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or youngchildren. Hijab does not need to be worn in front of other Muslim women, butthere is debate about what can be revealed to non-Muslim women. Modesty rulesare open to a wide range of interpretations. Some Muslim women wear full-bodygarments that only expose their eyes. Some cover every part of the body excepttheir face and hands. Some believe only their hair or their cleavage iscompulsory to hide, and others do not observe any special dress rules. In theEnglish speaking world, use of the word hijab has become limited to mean thecovering on the head of Muslim woman. However, this is more accurately called akhimaar. The khimaar is a convenient solution comprising usually one, butsometimes two pieces of cloth, enabling Muslim women to cover their hair, earsand neck while outside the home. Hijab, in the sense of veiling, can also beachieved by hanging a curtain or placing a screen between women and men toallow them to speak to each other without changing dress.