TO COVER UP OR NOT TO COVER UP?

WASHINGTON: Melania Trump wore a veil to the Vatican on Wednesday to meet the pope, but no head covering a few days earlier to meet the king of Saudi Arabia, a conservative country where most women cover themselves from head to toe. Why the difference? The answer is a complicated mix of personal preference, diplomatic protocol and religious dictates. Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for the first lady, said Melania’s decision to wear a black lace veil known as a mantilla followed Vatican protocol that women who have an audience with the pope must wear long sleeves, formal black clothing and a veil to cover their head. In Saudi Arabia, however, the government did not request she wear a hijab. The Vatican’s rules of attire are not strictly enforced. Many women, including high-ranking dignitaries, have met the pope with their heads uncovered, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi. Many women wear veils out of respect. Melania is Catholic, which likely made accompanying Donald Trump for a meeting with him all the more meaningful. At Israel’s Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, Melania wore no head covering. Most Orthodox Jewish women cover their hair as a sign of modesty.