Answer
Salam (Peace) Chris,
Thank you for contacting About Islam with your question.
I can understand your unease and frustration when having to deal with someone who wears niqab (face veil). It does take a bit of getting used to when speaking with women who cover their face.
I myself wear hijab (head covering and modest clothing). But cannot even imagine myself wearing niqab. I would actually be afraid to do so in my own country (the United States), especially if I had to go into a gas station to pay before pumping. I’d be afraid that they’d shoot first and ask questions later.
Part of your frustration, I believe, comes from a feeling that everyone in “your country” should act the same as you. Perhaps you feel that “those women” who wear niqab are foreigners. While some of them may be relatively new immigrants, probably many of them are second or third generation Brits or even British converts.
You have to accept, Chris, that the United Kingdom isn’t just for Anglo-Saxons and Christians anymore, just as the United States is not just for people of Western European descent or those ascribing to Christianity.
Both of our countries have become mosaics or tapestries-not melting pots-of different races and faiths. And we should learn more about and from our neighbors and fellow residents and citizens.
Perhaps if you understood why some women choose to wear niqab, it would help you to accept these differences in others.
The Quran (the Islamic holy book) says:
{O you who believe! Enter not the dwellings of the Prophet for a meal without waiting for the proper time, unless permission be granted you. But if ye are invited, enter, and, when your meal has ended, then disperse. Linger not for conversation. Lo! that would cause annoyance to the Prophet, and he would be shy of [asking] you [to go]; but Allah is not shy of the truth. And when you ask of them [the wives of the Prophet] anything, ask it of them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not for you to cause annoyance to the messenger of Allah, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him. Lo! that in Allah’s sight would be an enormity.} (Quran 33:53)
This verse was directed to the Prophet’s (Peace be upon him-PBUH) wives, who are revered as the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them).
While the majority of Islamic scholars believe that this command was only for the Prophet’s wives, there are some who believe that what is directed to the wives is meant for all Muslim women.
Also, some women wear niqab not because they think it is obligatory, but because they think they will be rewarded for following the example of the Mothers of the Believers, in much the same way that Muslims are rewarded for following the example of the Prophet (PBUH).
You might not agree with women who wear niqab. But, you must admit, these women deserve credit for their strength of conviction in doing so in countries where it is seen as something very strange. And remember that a woman who is accustomed to wear niqab would feel as uncomfortable taking it off in public, as you would walking down the street stark naked.
You might try to strike up a conversation with some of these women. If you are hard of hearing, you can always explain this to her and ask her to speak up. Or you might even inquire at a mosque to learn more about their beliefs and their reasons for doing what they do.
As for the exceptions made for these women in banks, I can’t comment except to say that scholars agree that a woman who believes it is obligatory may uncover her face when there is a genuine need such as identification or medical treatment. But I do note that British law tends to be very tolerant of minorities.
For example, an English colleague told me that the law requiring helmets for motorcyclists was waived for Sikhs because of their turbans. Personally, I think someone should design a crash helmet that can be worn over a turban.
This kind of tolerance and acceptance of differences-within the limits of God’s laws-is, to me, a sign of greatness within a society. Everyone can benefit.
I hope this has relieved your unease a bit, Chris. If you have any more questions, please send them to us.
Thank you and Peace!
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
Non-Muslim Women Try On Hijab & Niqab
Aren’t Women in Niqab Too Oppressed?