What do uncovered Western women think of when they see Muslim women who wear a niqab and are covered from head to toe?
What do uncovered Western women think of when they
see us Muslim women who wear a niqab and are covered from head to toe?
Negative
“When
I see women in a niqab, I think they look unapproachable and conforming.
In
the American culture, we use so much body language to communicate. A
smile, a wiggle of fingers, a tapped foot. All these things communicate
some feeling and convey personality. All these things are denied to a
woman in a niqab. On a deep level I feel that the garment steals humanity
and individuality. It steals that woman's chance to connect with
strangers through a smile, through a shared love of pink, through a passion for
star wars t-shirts...
In
terms of oppressing women, it is hardly the worst thing that women have been
subjected to in history (corsets, foot binding, etc). But it hits the
hardest, because it feels like a step backward. As if while the rest of
the world has been moving forward to gender equality, women in the Middle East
are moving backward into oppression.”
“As a muslim woman from a country with the biggest muslim
population and who wears a hijab (I know the question is not for me then, but I
want to put in some perspective here), I even feel uncomfortable seeing women
in Niqab, honestly.
I often wonder why some women want to cover their face although it is not obligatory (not even sunnah / recommended) in Islam. I realize this when I paid a visit to Mecca. When doing the Umrah/Hajj procession, a woman is not allowed to cover her face (Rules for Lady Pilgrims); which means, it is definetely okay for a woman to reveal their face (and hands) in front of men, unlinke hair and the rest of the body parts. It's evident that wearing a niqab/burqa is not compulsory.
What I learned from coming to Mecca, though, is that men there are quite "scary" and flirty. They rarely see women's faces, so they are "too friendly" to women who do not cover their faces. That's when I understand Arab women's choice to cover their face in Arabia. If it makes them safer and more comfortable, then go for it. It's their choice.
However, I still can't accept the justification behind wearing niqab/burqa in a non-Islamic countries, especially in the western world. Even in Indonesia, people will look down on fully-covered women, as they seem distant and somehow hard to trust. Even as someone who wears a hijab, I have to admit that talking to them is somehow awkward and is unpleasant, as I cannot see their expression.”
I often wonder why some women want to cover their face although it is not obligatory (not even sunnah / recommended) in Islam. I realize this when I paid a visit to Mecca. When doing the Umrah/Hajj procession, a woman is not allowed to cover her face (Rules for Lady Pilgrims); which means, it is definetely okay for a woman to reveal their face (and hands) in front of men, unlinke hair and the rest of the body parts. It's evident that wearing a niqab/burqa is not compulsory.
What I learned from coming to Mecca, though, is that men there are quite "scary" and flirty. They rarely see women's faces, so they are "too friendly" to women who do not cover their faces. That's when I understand Arab women's choice to cover their face in Arabia. If it makes them safer and more comfortable, then go for it. It's their choice.
However, I still can't accept the justification behind wearing niqab/burqa in a non-Islamic countries, especially in the western world. Even in Indonesia, people will look down on fully-covered women, as they seem distant and somehow hard to trust. Even as someone who wears a hijab, I have to admit that talking to them is somehow awkward and is unpleasant, as I cannot see their expression.”
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