I don't know anyone personally in my locality who wear niqaab, but once we had visitor's from dubai, the lady wore niqaab and when I was out with her, I really noticed how people stared, some actually looked quite frightened of her, some looked horrified, some looked angry, but there were others who were smiling pleasantly as if to make her feel ok. I did not feel comfortable bcos of the attention and quite frankly do not see the need for wearing niqaab in a place where you do not have wear it to fit in with the Jones'. Yes, I mean that, don't know if I have explained it well.
E.g. - In some places in Pakistan, if you go out shopping WITHOUT a face covering on, you will be stared at by men who think they have the licence to openly leer at you, shuffle past you with half their perverted bodies pressing against you and grope whatever part of you they can make contact with before scurrying away with an appendage that has suddenly taken on gravity defying properties.
However, in places where you do not get bad vibes for not wearing it, the niqaab can actually create barriers and alienate people from Islam who see niqaabi's.
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