i think this is a good answer for veil...


Trying to eat spaghetti

Well I want to report that I watched all three of the videos...sigh...and wonder if many actually heard that she said she didn't think the hijab should be banned, but rather she thinks the niqab (face covering) and chador (full length body cover).

Actually, I am amazed that women are allowed to wear the niqab (face covering) in Britain.

A definition of exactly what is meant by the veil would probably be in order.

FWIW, I looked up who the commentator was and found she is a communist and her opinions are coming from that perspective.

I do feel her opinion is just that, her opinion. There are many women who wear these out of their own choice. I myself wore a full djellaba and niqab when I was in Morocco and found it very liberating. It was like being in ones home, but outside as well. It was sort of like a invisible shield. I was able to wear whatever I wanted under it.

There were some unexpected problems with post nasal drip(use your imagination) and you certainly can't smoke in one.....of course eating in public is not at all easy. The women...I dare not contemplate about spaghetti in one of these! The women I did see eating in public were facing the wall

In my case it was a matter of choice, if I were forced to do it, I would most probably resent it. It was interesting to walk around in it, in particular around American tourists....I even went into the American Express office and was not asked to remove my veil. They could identify me from my eyes.

I have some lady friends from Afghanistan, who I have questioned about the Afghan Burqa. I tried one on and wore it around a while. I found it very uncomfortable, my eyelashes got stuck in the grill and it was very difficult to see where I was going. It gave me a bad tunnel vision. They, on the other hand, reported they loved it and had no problems navigating in it.

A lady friend who visited Afghanistan some years ago with her husband reported she bought a traditional burka thinking she would 'blend in' but much to her disappointment, everyone could spot her from a very long distance as a 'tourist'. She didn't move like a native and didn't stand like a native. She told me the women could recognize each other from blocks away, even though they were wearing all covering burkas.....so go figure.

I have a collection of different types of veils, hijabs, burkas and niqabs. A Turkish lady friend of mine was trying them on and she screamed, 'Ahh, this is worse, everyone can see where and how you are looking!'

The fact of the matter is that these extreme coverings do not appear to have much to do with Islam as there is extensive evidence they have been part of the Mediterrenian culture for Millenia. May I remind you of these?

Hellenistic, 3rd-2nd century B.C.

veiled dancer


Gulf woman with typical face covering


Saudi Negev

I could go on with different exmples from different cultures, like in Japan, China where veils have been popular and a 'regular' part of the society....but this is all for now...

why you don't try to understand life doesn't sing same songs to all cat,some of em can feel better herself in decolty and some of in veil (sure if theresn't any social pressure on that),and doesn't everyone have enough rights for choise wearing stlye by don't give harm to each other??Sure we can discuisse all social,men and belief pressures about that,but i think we have to look at this topic as one of main individual human right??

Thank you Alameda for a serious answer. I appreciate it.
Maryam Namazie's perspective on the veil has nothing to do with her political ideas, she was born in Iran and she knows what it's like to live under Islamic law. Her entire family is Muslim. So she has an understanding of Islam and her opinions about the veil come from there.
Yes, she's not against the headscarf, just against the burqa and the other types of all-body covers.
Different cultures do have their own types of body covers. In the villages in Poland is is still common that women wear something that is similar to a headscarf, although it doesn't have any meaning at all to them. The issue here though, is that Islamic countries are obsessed with "appropriate" cover for women. Apparently, not sticking to them strongly enough may even result in death.

Thanks for that Alameda.

The wearing of Niqab and chador does seem to be on the rise here in the UK. The women that I know personally, wear these of their own accord. They are intelligent, well educated women who have made their own decision.

I'm recounting personal, direct experience and I'm not trying to say that there isn't another side to it.

That was a great post Alameda, it´s nice to hear about personal experience. Thank you

Although I would never wear a veil (or anything the like), well perhaps only just to see what it feels like, I don´t mind women who wear it as result of personal choice. I have written in another thread that it is not being able to wear the veil that gives you freedom, but being able to take it off without any consequences. If you are as safe wearing a veil as not wearing it then it´s up to you what makes you feel better. But if you choose to wear it because otherwise you´ll be considered immoral or unadjusted then it is hardly a choice.

Yet, in public institutions I´d rather see faces of people around me so banks, schools, hospitals etc shouldn´t allow people wearing clothes disabling face recognition. (Thus hijab is ok with me while burkas not really)

I guess I don´t understand why a women would wear it as personal choice. Could someone explain this to me, it´s not fashionable and doesn´t look comfortable, so why else would they wear it? Please don´t say out of respect for their husband, again this would conclude control and limited freedom.