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HuThere is biblical encouragement for women to cover their heads in church, but I think people will probably react with vitriol to hear it from a muslim imam

so very true on both points.

I remember as a child wearing a head cover whether it be a mantilla or a hat when I went to Mass. I also remember not eating meat on Fridays and fasting 12 hrs. before communion. Things change sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. The way I see some people come to church today they look dressed for football games or like they just rolled out of bed.

Here's the relevant passage, 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (HCSV),one most modern (even conservative evangelical) bible scholars interpret differently than it sounds:

2 Now I praise you because you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. 6 So if a woman's head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.

7 A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God's image and glory, but woman is man's glory. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man; 9 and man was not created for woman, but woman for man. 10 This is why a woman should have [a symbol of] authority on her head: because of the angels. 11 However, in the Lord, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.

13 Judge (for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

This is the passage where we get our tradition of men taking off their hats in Church (or even just indoors), and why in very traditional churches today women will tend to wear hats.

Of course the main thrust of the passage is a Husband's authority over his Wife....not a very popular theme today, even amidst evangelicals...

The most convincing interpretation I've heard comes from the fact that in the original Greek no hat or veil is actually mentioned. The word for "head covering" MAY mean a hat/veil, or, it may be referring to the obvious fact that womens' hair covers her head--and, nature teaches us women appropriately have longer hair then men....