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Beyond the veil

Muslim women in Ireland explain why they wear the niqab

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Woman wearing a niqab

Women who  wear the full Muslim garb in Ireland, including covering their faces have defended their choice.

Speaking to The Irish Times the women stated they voluntarily donned the niqab and were happy doing it.

Amna Han, originally from Dublin  converted to Islam in 2004.

“I became more interested in Islam after 9/11 because of all the media coverage of Islam and Muslims.

“I started wearing hijab after I converted in 2004 at the age of 18. Niqab felt like a natural progression. I’ve been wearing it on and off for just under a year. My sister, who converted last year, also wears niqab.

“It’s not for every woman but it makes me feel so much more secure. I think the reasoning behind it is just common sense. It is a form of protection. Everywhere you look these days it’s all about sex, sex, sex, sex. Men are weaker . . . they react to images more than we do. They just can’t control themselves.

“It also gives me a sense of freedom. When I wear niqab I am judged only for who I am and not for my body – that is something I have wanted all my life.

“During my teenage years, it was horrible – the pressure of always having to dress up for men. Now I feel like I’m finally being treated as a human being.

“The message it sends out to men is: don’t come near me because you’re not going to get anything from me. I’m the feminist: women have been fighting for years to be judged on who they are, and not their boobs or bum.

“Wearing niqab in Ireland can be difficult because some people look down on you. They forget that behind the veil is a woman. They shout things like go back to your own country. This is my country, where am I supposed to go back to? Tallaght?

“My husband, a Pakistani man I met after I converted, doesn’t want me to wear niqab because he is concerned that I will get loads of abuse and he hates seeing me upset. I’m doing this for the sake of Allah – not for my husband or anyone else.

“I don’t wear niqab in front of my parents because they don’t like it. They think you should dress according to what is the norm in society and keep religion as a private affair.

“Before I had children, I worked as a care assistant while studying to be a nurse. I believe I could do that job wearing niqab because at the end of the day, it’s just a face covering.

“If I was told I couldn’t wear niqab while working in a mixed environment, then I wouldn’t work. Simple as that.”

Aisha who is married to an iman in a  Dublin mosque stated that people have accepted her.

“When I came to Ireland first, it was rare to see a woman wearing niqab. Back then some people would shake their heads and say things like: ‘May the holy spirit be on you,’ but it was never really nasty,” she says. “I think people here are more accepting now because there is a greater awareness of Islam. I feel more confident when I walk on the streets.”

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