To wear or not to wear a niqab

This video discusses the Tribune staff's opinions on the veil and how they feel around women who have adopted it.

Atika.rehman April 20, 2012
It is no surprise that both our top blogs this week have talked about the face veil. In the first one, our blogger wrote about a social experiment she conducted by wearing a niqab for a day. The other blog talked about the controversy surrounding a picture of a veiled woman holding up a bra.

Here are some of the reactions to these pieces:
“'Female figure is a source of evil and therefore should be kept strictly hidden. All girl children be taught to be ashamed of their own bodies. Any reference to female anatomy meets with a response of disgust, or lust or even violence.' These were the golden rules I grew up learning in an average lower middle class Pakistani family. I struggled for a long time before finally growing out of it."

"It's not so much the niqab but what it gets connected with that causes them to behave this way."

"This hijab is violation of human rights, it is against the dignity of a woman……… it is not a matter of choice…………..it is just to show off that you are more pious and righteous."

"You don’t really know who is behind that mask, second for communication reason you don't know what his facial expressions are, its like holding a conversation with a pole."

"I don’t think feeling awkward around someone in a niqab has anything to do with being judgemental, per se. How would most people feel like when sitting in a restaurant next to someone dressed in traditional Sami, Inuit, Zulu or Maori fashion? Exactly, a bit awkward.

It was interesting to see the polarity of views, and as the debate raged on in the comments section,  I decided to ask The Express Tribune staff a few questions and recorded their answers.

This video discusses people's opinion on the veil and how they feel around women who have adopted it.

Read more by Atika here or follow her on Twitter @AtikaRehman

COMMENTS (109)

leila rage | 11 years ago | Reply @Muslim: I feel that in your criticisms of hinduism and 'religions of the west' you forget an important verse from the quran 'To you be your way, and to me Mine' ie You have your religion & I have mine. To each his own. No one should criticise anothers religion, beliefs or how they choose to practise their faith
leila rage | 11 years ago | Reply @Muslim: Your knowledge is quite flawed. Islam does not institute or encourage stoning to death. Stoning was a pre-Islamic tradition.
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