Niqab - why it is such a big issue in the non-Muslim countries?

Dushwari · November 24, 2006, 10:28pm

i am sure everyone has heard of the latest on the issue of Niqab being worn by a british Musalimah teacher & her case.

i am perturbed by the end result of the case as i followed it through news.

this is what i think. Hijab is still considered alright even though it does turn the non Muslims’ crowd’s heads, from time to time. but what really is stand offish to them is the Niqab.

it is so, partly because, the image of a woman clad from head to toe in a couple of black pieces of covering gear ( i love the beaded ones), is intimidating. we have to accept that it does cause the illusion of someone hiding behind the Niqab, as the face cannot be seen.

the problem for us Muslims and Musalimahs is that we need to dissociate the link between a female person from our faith, who covers her face, from the idea that she might be definitely intending to hoodwink civil law and is up to some ‘operation’ of terror.

is it a hindrance in professions where the interface of humans is necessary? for instance, a teacher with a learner, a doctor with a patient, a news broad cast with a people watching t.v. news.

well, a friend of mine is absolutely right, the hindrance of walking on a half foot long pair of heels, & mini skirt that can actually cause frost bite in the cold in western regions of the world, is obviously no hindrance for a young woman in the west, even though it causes a lot of distraction in the same professions, and that too, where others are pleased at the site of the flesh showing or flirtsy overtures being made.

let’s say that a woman is clad modestly, and in pants and a full sleeve buttoned up shirt and takes a shawl and is properly maintaining a good distance from the people she walks among,
but, she also wants to adopt her identity as a Musalimah by covering her face in front of all na-mherems.
what is so wrong with that, if she is other wise documented as a law abiding citizen of a non Muslim country?

the problem is that in ‘Muslim countries’ and with the attitude that primarily the men therein have, there are double standards. & sadly enough, in ‘Muslim countries’, most of the bollywood blase’ mentality is ERODING the morals of our generation - young women especially, as they are also becoming tempting to & are successfully learning to disrobe themselves in front of anybody. the cheap tease and the implicit themes of lustfulness as can be seen trickling down into Pakistani dramas and Arab videos, are all signs of a confused Muslim sentiment about what their entertainment media is sinking low down to.

in this context, when we have cases like the teacher in Britain whose case has been dismissed and she is out of work, is the outcome of an impression, that when you adopt a country, u should be open minded enough to also integrate in its systems, without having to fore go your true personality or cultural values.
why is she had been asked to come into her classroom without the Niqab, is simply because, right now, her Niqab is not seen as a symbol of her identity as a Musalimah, but as an unlawful provocation, a threat to the socially free-base of british society.

we need to realize the non Muslim countries where exposing one’s skin is considered a good ‘marketable’ phenomenon, have this itch to create an expose’ against the “Niqab proper” because it does make them doubtful of the integrity of the immigrants, since anybody covered can be just that - ‘any body’ covered under a disguise.

many convert Musalimahs wear Hijab easily but they do not necessarily cover their faces. ideally, any society should be mindful enough that a lady walking down the street is not ‘some thing’ to be hit on, that ‘it is fine’ if she has no problems in working from within her covered face.

Mary used to wear a long veil & a nice tunic. Prophets’ wives Sarah, Rebbekah, Leah and Rachel use to wear long tunics and veils.

i respect Hijab and Niqab both & i so wish that these were not reduced to the ‘veiled pleasure’ notion of a woman, whose very grace as a Musalimah is in adorning them.

still, why do we forget to first make the people, who have a reservation against Niqab and Hijab, understand as to why they are necessary as symbol of Musalimahs’ identity. we, as conservative and/or moderate Muslims and Musalimahs, living in both Muslim or non Muslim countries, have to carefully approach this issue and make room for understanding for the non-Muslims, as to why Musalimahs (out of their choice), want to wear Hijab or Niqab and that it should not be automatically linked to them being disruptive in social interactions or being up to misusing their hidden identity for some god damned fabricated national threat or any other alibi of such nature & non-Muslims too have a responsibility to at least be willing to understand the reason for a Musalimah to be covered the way she chooses to be.