White House adviser Ivanka Trump donned a hijab — a traditional head covering to show modesty — during a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday.
In the past, both Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had declined to cover their heads while visiting Muslim countries — as in President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2017.
And for much of her visit this weekend to the United Arab Emirates, where she was the keynote speaker at the Global Women’s Forum, Ivanka Trump did not cover her head.
But in a visit to a mosque, a holy site, diplomatic protocol typically requires adherence to custom and decorum — as is the case for the holy sites of other faiths, such as the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where men of all faiths are expected to wear kippot or yarmulkes in accordance with Jewish tradition. At the Vatican, both Melania and Ivanka Trump covered their heads when meeting with Pope Francis.
BREAKING: Former Prince Andrew Arrested in Epstein Case
DC Mayor Bowser declares emergency over Potomac sewage spill, asks for federal help
RNC sues to stop Democrats’ Virginia redistricting push
Inside ICE’s battle with local Democrats to convert warehouses into detention centers
Strapped New Yorkers swarm chaotic Mamdani-inspired free grocery store pop-up: We’re ‘in pain’
Trump hits campaign trail in key battleground as race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene heats up
Is DEI Dead? Jasmine Crockett’s Texas Senate Run Seems Like an Afterthought Following Colbert’s James Talarico Stunt
LATE BREAKING: Massive Guthrie Kidnapping Break – FBI Now Has Names and Photos of Suspects
Hiker dies of hypothermia after slipping off trail near summit of New York’s tallest mountain
Grandmother tells Trump critics to ‘get off the man’s back’ during White House Black History Month event
DHS shutdown leaves local emergency responders on their own amid extreme weather, expert warns
Detroit officers facing termination for allegedly contacting immigration authorities during traffic stops
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani reverses course on homeless encampments after pausing clearings
Trump DOJ probes Michigan schools over gender curriculum, joins lawsuit against LA race-based program
3rd arrested in violent overnight home invasion, multiple illegal aliens accused of sexual assault, kidnapping
In the Jewish faith, which Ivanka Trump shares, many married religious women also cover their heads out of modesty, especially in religious settings, though there is no Jewish equivalent of the Islamic veil.
In that context, Ivanka Trump’s visit to the mosque was also significant, as she is among the first Jewish people to be an honored guest of a kingdom that has been, until recently, cold toward Israel and Jews.
#إيفانكا_ترامب تزور #مسجد_الشيخ_زايد الكبير في #أبوظبي وتؤكد أن الجامع تحفة معمارية إسلامية رائعة من حيث الحداثة والتصميم #IvankaTrump#GWFD2020#البيان_القارئ_دائما pic.twitter.com/JA0ePP1atU
— صحيفة البيان (@AlBayanNews) February 16, 2020
The United Arab Emirates has, until recently, barred Israelis from entering the country, in a policy that has been described as antisemitic. However, relations are warming and those restrictions are being eased.
Ivanka Trump praised the United Arab Emirates for recent reforms that granted more freedom to women in the country, the AP reported.
Story cited here.









