A woman wearing the Niqab demonstrates for the victims of the Gaza war.Picture by Jasmin Bauomy
On the one hand, I was raised in Germany where freedom of religion is a valid law and people have the right to believe in whatever they want. But even there, the Islamic headscarf is banned in schools. And now, Egypt is doing "almost" the same thing and bans something that is considered "radical" for many "normal" Sunni Muslims.
But why all these quotation marks? Well, because things are relative. I find it really hard to develop an opinion about this because who am I to judge whether people want to cover their faces out of religious reasons? Can I look inside their head? No. Do I know the exact implications and details about this belief? No. - So, why does everybody seem to have an opinion but me?
This is what I believe: I believe, everybody has the right to practice their religion as they interpret it as long as no harm is done to others. And what is the harm that is being done to me, when I see a niqabi at school? As long as she doesn't tell me to put one on myself, I shouldn't be bothered or irritated.
As for the Niqab itself, I don't think that it is a sign of oppression. On the contrary, for many women it is an expression of their freedom. They know they are deviant to society, yet they choose to put on the Niqab. Very often even, you can find these women being extremely outspoken. Just like many others who don't wear the veil, they fight with cab drivers and curse like sailors. However, I often get the feeling that they are hiding something behind that veil. The fact, that they are hiding their faces gives them that extra freedom of saying things and doing things that many others wouldn't do. The facial veil often seems to be like a one way security wall - things can only reach the outside, but nothing will ever reach the inside.
But how would I know. Maybe things do reach the inside? You never know...
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