The niqab is just clothing

[onagar]

"Egypt's highest Muslim authority has said he will issue a religious edict against the growing trend for full women's veils, known as the niqab.

Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university, called full-face veiling a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith"

" Sheikh Tantawi was visiting a girls' school in Cairo at the weekend and asked one of the students to remove her niqab"

BBC News

So that's settled at last and someone owes Jack Straw an apology.

choose, not chose

The grammar police are having the day off

fret not

I agree that choosing to wear it seems worse than being made to.

why would anybody choose to wear it, it is not required by your religion, it's a symbol of oppression and it intimidates others.

have they gone to a convention?

I wrote a very long post in response then the PC crashed LOL

To summarise 9and its always best that I do (

1. I like it if the boys see as many (non criminal or nasty) aspects of society as possible, becuase whilst they have to form their own opinions as adults, I do take responsibility for the education behind that. We live in a village where there are no Niqab / burkha / Islamic clothing wearing women, and I want them to ract with understanding of what it means and perhaps the issues, not the horror ds2 sadly deonstarted ona trip to cardiff. It amde me aware that I need to foucs on that. I also know that we are currently sufering bigotry as a family bacuse of another discrimination-related issue, and ic an't shout about that then fail to address it with my own lads.

Not sure if I'dfeel the same with girls, think so but maybe there are extra issues in there?

I think the outfits can represent fear, but I think in other ways they rpresent a declaration of their wish to be viewed as having certain beleifs, or a sense of identity with a part of society- bit like a goth might. I imagine that varies for other people really, the convert that springs to my mine would be wearing delibrately as a statement of allegiance.

if that's the sumamry, thank f the full text vanished!

It's a bit of a security issue for me too. I'd rather see a face and be assured that the person is genuinely female, not some pervy man in the ladies' loo, for example. One of the 21st July bombers escaped in 2005 (to Italy I think) by initially fleeing the area concealed inside a niqab. I wouldn't want my children in close proximity to someone who isn't readily identifiable either, remembering here that court case with the teacher who was fired after she refused to take off her niqab as a schoolteacher. I thought firing her was justifiable in that context as it's hard to see what use CRB etc. is when you have no idea who is actually under the fabric.

I can see your POV though wouldn't echo iot myself, however I do think there's a very different element of desperation (and evil!) between someone fleeing an attempted suicide bomb as culprit, and the average Jo(anna) using a loo.

I had concerns about the TA over a different angle (the complex communiocation necessary when dealing with the variety of situations a classrom throws up, many chidlren rely heavily on facial expresion). The CRB thing didn't occur to me tbh, you'd still know by voice etc surely?

OTOH a parent ahs to feel safe when they leave their children so concerns do matter.

I would hate it if my children grew up thinking that the attire of any faith is something to be scared of, however I do run a particular kind of hosuehold where despite being raised as Christians they have free access to all manner of religious texts including the Qur'an.I recognise I am odd.

You're not odd Peachy, I want my son growing up knowing and understanding many religions, so when he is older he is free to make an informed choice about which belief system, if any, he wishes to follow. I also think it helps to foster an understanding in many religions, and yes, cultures, which will benefit him in later life, regardless of which path he chooses to follow.
As for the original OP, my best friends mum lives in Dubai and is a muslim convert. From what he tells me, she occiasionally chooses to wear a niqab, but certainly isn't forced by anyone. She wears it 'cause sometimes she just wishes to blend into the crowd, and a white woman in a non-tourist area of Dubai tends to stick out like a sore thumb.