Burqa or niqab- why can’t people get it right?

Sorry , yes you are right annodomini I should have known better as like SueDomin my DiL is Muslim, but wears ' western clothes ' and does not cover her hair Her mother however does wear a hijab

No, Nadiya were the hijab (scarf) on Bake off. I seem to remember she had a variety of colourful scarves. I like the little turbans she wears nowadays.

BBbevan, did Nadiya really wear a niqab on Bake Off? I doubt it very much, though I can’t claim to have watched all of it.

Years ago, in Iran when the Shah was the Leader, women were largely Westernised in their clothes, hair and make up.
Since the Mullahs took over all that changed.
Things seem to be going backwards for women regarding their clothes.
I suppose Boris has got us all pondering about this matter.
Their choice or not ( and for some it won’t be) wearing the full monty ( burqa) is a medieval way for women to be walking about in the 21st Century in the UK.

Juggernaut that’s just not nice

If a woman wants to cover her face why should we be up in arms about it it’s just not our business Why does ‘difference’ hold so much fear for some Why not embrace it and learn about it and be bigger than it Why is the Western way always the right way

Terrorism isn’t the way of every Muslim Juggernaut I seem to remember a lot of folks blown up and killed by the Ira without any of them dressing as a woman so I think your ‘huge problem’ is within your own psyche

My dil is Muslim but she wears no headcovering as it has never been a part of her ethnic origin culture to do so. However, she receives abuse from other Muslims, for not covering up.

Have you noticed that Nadiya wore a niqab on Great British Bake off? . She now wears a sort of scarf/ turban, so her face is more readily seen. Much better in my opinion, and obviously not against her Muslim religion.

I would not argue for a ban but I would argue that we have to discard fear of causing offence in relation to the veil. If a woman wants to wear a veil, that's absolutely fine. But if they want to wear it in normal daily life, they should understand that they can expect to be turned away from many public places and possibly be deprived of career opportunities. And they can’t expect to be fully part of normal western society. That’s a real shame, but it is their choice.

From David Flint:

* The face covering does not aid integration and in many cases is not the choice of the woman concerned but of her husband.*

How do you know this is the case please?

To reiterate neither garment is required for religious reasons purely cultural. Several Imams and scholars have said the wearing of these face coverings should be discontinued by women who live in UK or indeed any other countries. The face covering does not aid integration and in many cases is not the choice of the woman concerned but of her husband.

Those that wear them know the difference ,is there a reason why we should know what and when to wear clothing associated with every religion.

Actually Bluebelle it isn't your right if you are in an Arabic country to show off whatever flesh you like to the sun. Its against the law there.

So , that being the case, why can there not be a law here that deals with the full face /body coverings here. Other European country are equally multicultural but don't seem to be as concerned as the UK is.

I actually think Juggernaut is right, it even states at the entrance to some supermarkets that full face motorcycle helmets cant be worn so why can something else be allowed that hides the face?

One of my brothers got challenged in a bank for not removing his motorcycle helmet.

Have you noticed that the Queen never appears in public without some sort of head covering from crowns and tiaras to hats and headscarfs? When I was a child it was unthinkable to turn up at church without a hat - unless you were a man of course, then you had to be bareheaded. We did not have a hat as part of our senior school uniform, but were required to wear a maroon beret when on church parade. Many brides still arrive at their wedding fully veiled. How many of our generation would feel comfortable attending a funeral without a hat? or, if a man would keep their hat on at the graveside even if it was snowing?

All of these customs come from the Old Testament - the basic fundamental rule book for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Whether they are observed nowadays depends on how strictly they are enforced by each branch or sept of these religions. As they all started in the Middle East I suppose that covering the head and face against sun and sand would be common practice in that area.

If I walked into a crowded shopping area, concert, or any other large public gathering wearing a long flowing robe, my arms and hands not visible and a 'Lone Ranger' mask across my eyes, I'd be challenged pretty quickly

I don't think so.

I hope not, gilly or the Queen might have a comment or two to add.

I don’t think anyone has described a headscarf as evil oldbatty

maryeliza54
The only problem I have with Niqabs and to a greater degree Burqas, is that they both prevent identification of whomever is wearing them.
We are to assume that there is always a woman underneath all that fabric.
Several times already, men have worn Burqas to evade security services, so to always assume it's a woman would be completely wrong. Even if it is a woman in the garb, she's still completely anonymous (and following the news this past week, we now know that being female does not prevent fundamentalists planning terrorist attacks), and I have a huge problem with that!
If I walked into a crowded shopping area, concert, or any other large public gathering wearing a long flowing robe, my arms and hands not visible and a 'Lone Ranger' mask across my eyes, I'd be challenged pretty quickly.
Double standards?

I dont think you can describe a headscarf as evil.

The woman I used to chat to changed the type of covering she wore at various stages in her life.
She covered up as a teen, went uncovered for a good few years, then decided to cover up as she got older.

Its because they are even called different things in the countries where they are more commonly worn.

I've been wondering that, nina. Take Nadiya Hussein for instance. I thought she wore a hijab on Bake Off, in fact she talks about wearing a hijab but looking at Maw's pictures it was more like a khimar - which I've never heard of. She now wears a turban.

No wonder folk get confused.

Now there's a can of worms!

Are the different styles worn by different sections of muslims/completley different religions ? Or are they just personal choice.

Just curious.

Not very I would guess Blinko.