To ask how many times you have seen anyone wearing a niqab (full face veil revealing eyes) or burqa (full face veil with mesh cover for eyes)?

[Jane379]

I've seen recent talk on UK Reddit about banning them, and I think we should, for several reasons, but I also think in some ways banning is easy but actually integrating people leading a very conservative Muslim lifestyle is much harder, and should be the main discussion.
European countries that have banned found not many women wore them. What about here? Some estimates say 1%-2% of Muslim women, but we don't really know.

I live in S London in an area with quite a few Muslims and have only seen about 10 niqab wearers in my life. Most in more central areas. I've never seen anyone wearing a burqa.

How typical is this?

Its because visibility of one's face is hugely important in human groups. As I previously posted, I found the niqab very cumbersome in terms of clear communication when I lived in the Gulf. I have practical objections to it but dont want to ban it because banning clothing is an overreach. I couldnt care less about head coverings because they dont impact on communication.

Only rarely and primarily in a diverse city in the north where my employer has an office.

I have lots of professional female Muslim friends who don't cover their heads at all unless visiting religious spaces etc or mingling with more conservative Muslim friends.

Born and lived in Bradford till recently, never seen one.

I live in Pakistan so maybe this isn’t really directed at me?

Wow, me too! Did you never drive or walk around Great Horton or Manningham? To be honest, even the city centre. I went ice skating with DC last summer and saw a mum and 2 young children wearing them.

I don’t like them, but I wouldn’t suppprt banning them. It’s not for me to decide what women should wear!

I live in Leicester..fill Muslim attire is the norm here. My kids are the only white British in their school of 600 kids. The school is majority Hindu but id say 30% Muslim..90% of those mums wear the niquab or burkha. So every morning I see these mums..absolutely never been an issue. Seen them lift their veils at kids parties so they can enjoy a coffee etc. When I first moved here I thought I'd struggle to connect with them but I don't. They're human just like the rest of us

Niqab most days. Burqa very rarely - only a handful of times ever. East London.

Maybe not, but I am actually quite interested in the answer! I’ve never met a Pakistani woman wearing anything more covered than a hijab or scarf, but most Pakistani women I have met have been doctors in the UK, so probably not representative.

At my work we are being encouraged to have photos on our Teams profiles and told we must always have our cameras on for online meetings. Its for security, to ensure we are talking to the person we think we are, but also most people find it quite disconcerting talking to a blank screen when you're supposed to be having a meeting.
Its pretty normal for humans to find facial expressions helpful in building a rapport with someone and when communicating. I would hate to be treated in a medical setting by someone whose face I can't see.

Countless times in Tower Hamlets area of London

Not normal for a lot of autistic people. I actually find the removal of facial expressions takes the pressure off! Relying on verbal language is much easier for me. I appreciate it's not an intended benefit but please don't assume everyone is the same.

When I lived in Bradford, in the 90's it was daily.

Now live elsewhere very rarely.

Hardly at all and none in my town.

I've only seen them a few times. I don't think we should ban them, it seems really intrusive to legislate clothing in that way. Why do people support a ban? I'm not muslim but some days I could quite fancy wearing one myself, imagine all the time and money you could save on hair and makeup!

Burkha - never
Niqab - frequently.

But I was raised in areas with lots of muslims and live in diverse areas. I don’t care what a woman chooses to wear though.

What's sad?

I have never seen anyone in a burqa in the UK but I do see people in niqabs from time to time, but only in London, not where I live.

I really dislike it when I see girls wearing them (and even headscarves). Especially on a hot day when their menfolk are wearing shorts and t-shirts. Tossers.

It's not exactly a choice.

I have never been served or attended to by anybody in a niqab though and don’t think I would be comfortable with it (especially medical staff). I see hijabs every single say though and could not care less about those.

Oh yes I forgot. Not a single muslim
woman on the planet has ever decided for herself how she will dress.

Not one.

How do you know they are teenage girls, if they are fully covered?

Midlands....several times a week..

Small northern town. Loads of niqabs in the right part of town. Burka, only seen once here. They are quite rare.

I see it daily. When my children were in primary school there were a group of about 25 niqab wearing Mums. They didn’t speak to anyone not wearing the niqab, including other Muslim women wearing modest clothing which didn’t cover their face.