Is it unreasonable to say you feel uncomfortable around people when you can only see their eyes

[SailAwayWithMeHuni]

This isn’t meant to cause any offence, I’ve just been asked the question by a 12 year old and I’m not sure how to respond.

Context is that a group of girls at school were discussing whether older people are racist and someone stated that they feel uncomfortable when you can only see someones eyes.

I used to work in a public facing role, in an area with reasonable numbers of Niqab wearing women.
It was never a problem because the women, alone in an interview room with another woman, would remove the face coverings to talk to me.
I had to remind male Co workers to knock before bursting in as the women would then have to rush to cover up.

Agree, I’ve spoken to many people who have not taken off they sunglasses whilst having a conversation with me - hate it! However I respect that as their choice and try not to be so narrow minded about the way they choose to dress.

I meant their* of course

@TroysMammy I was going to say the same thing.

I fully support anyone wearing appropriately clothing according to their beliefs (kkk excepted, I'll never support that) but I'm partially deaf, I have auditory processing disorder, and despite the hearing aids, apparently I've taught myself to read lips somewhat. I've really noticed it since getting my aids and talking things through with the audiology dept.

I wonder how easily a mother in a niqab can communicate with a deaf family member. Sign language still incorporates facial movements and expression.

I don't really know what the face covering is about, but I think it is to stop males becoming overcome with lust if they see a pretty face.
So it is all up to the individuals concerned, I suppose.

I wouldn't consider myself racist, I will defend anyone's right to practice their religion and live by whatever standards/rules that they want, but only being able to see someones eyes freaks me out. I'm autistic with an auditory processing disorder, I struggle to make eye contact and can only really 'hear' people when I can see their mouths or they're yelling/loud (if there is background noise) or if things are almost silent. If/when it is appropriate for me to say I tell them hey I'm autistic and struggle with eye contact, you may also need to repeat yourself as I can't process sound very well. I make no mention of needing to see their lips although one very lovely girlfriend of a friend who I was spending time with did offer to remove it from her face to make things easier, I just thanked and refused and we messed around working out just exactly how poor my auditory processing is.

I don’t know if it’s the fact the face is covered that makes me uncomfortable so much as my perception (just my perception, perfectly able to accept in many cases that this will be incorrect) of the person I imagine to be behind the veil as oppressed, victimised and not being afforded the freedoms that all British women should have as their birthright. It’s also makes me slightly uncomfortable to know that people who I consider to be British ( born here, family here, lived here many years etc.) May feel the need to identify themselves as something else. Which is their right of course, I’m just not sure that multiculturalism to that degree is particularly helpful in trying to build a cohesive society.
In short - it’s their right to wear it, it’s everyone else’s right to feel whatever they feel about it. As long as they don’t bully, harass or attack women for wearing the veil - then it descends into something hideous.