The niqab is a misogynist monstrosity

Iam64, I did not bring the subject of abortion to this thread and I too fought to have abortion legalised . Do explain why is it wrong to abort a female child but not wrong to abort a child because one has conceived at an inconvenient time in ones career. If you are offend by my stating that this happens in this country then offended you will have to be because it happens.

Until just a few years ago my mother taught English as foreign language in a secondary school and all of her students were Muslim and had arrived in Britain post primary school.

These children were adapting to British culture and also learning how to practice their faith in Britain. One of the difficulties of Ramadan for example, is that we have long daylight hours in Summer and school terms during Ramadan.

Another shock was learning to adopt the headscarf. These children complained that they didn't wear the veil at home, that their family back home would be horrified. They said that they were told by UK Muslims "you're in Britain now, in Britain we wear the Headscarf"

Where I live I see no more than half a dozen Muslim families wearing burkhas/headscarves/niqabs. I have no idea whether it is choice or oppression for the adults. But I am horrified by the tiny tots wearing a niqab. Some of the children in pushchairs are wearing niqabs for goodness sake.

I have never seen a small child in a niqab but did have two girls from Algeria whose parents asked if they could wear a hijab to school (infants)
I met with them and said that I knew it was not a requirement of Islam for such young girls to wear a scarf. They said they would not in Algeria but were worried if they did not get into the habit early they might refuse as they got older. I managed to persuade them it was not necessary .

On BBC News this morning they had a woman wearing a niqab who was defending the wearing of the niqab in much about the same way some on here have posted.

Her name was Shalina Litt and she said she was a 'Child Behaviour Consultant'. When asked about her job she said it was not a problem because she didn't wear the niqab when she was with her clients. .

I am sorry that was a mixed message to me. Even though she was defending strongly the wearing of the niqab, was she not admitting it was not appropriate on certain occasions?.

I have to say I found the entire interview horrible, seeing only her eyes and no facial emotion. For all I knew it was Yasmin AB testing us all.

No point posting anymore..am too depressed by the lack of reflection.

How sensible to have a conversation and to discuss and exchange viewpoints.

I suspect that most people have insufficient knowledge of Islam and are too afraid of being accused of racism to be able to speak up. I think not engaging with the issues is a form of discrimination and just as bad.

I'm pretty sure that the local schools don't permit the niqab, and I see these Mums on the school run - so presumably they know that their daughters will have to remove the niqab when they start school.

I had enough trouble getting my daughter to wear her glasses to school

sorry last comments were in response to Penstemmon's post about Algerian couple.

VQ has asked for validation of claims that Muslims were forced to wear niqab - I offered my second hand experiences.

Did not think that my thoughts were unreflective - however brief points can be ambiguously understood and thoughtful posts may seem overlong.