What happens if you sneeze in a burka? - Too lazy to read anything long? Don't Enter!

Biggins

I post the following as an interesting insight into those that wish to live with wearing a burka.
Its not posted as an open or sly attempt to bash a religion.
Its an interesting article from todays Times.


What happens if you sneeze in a burka?

...and all the other questions you are too politically correct to ask, put to Zara Khan, a 27-year-old veil wearer

Have you ever wondered how a Muslim woman in a full face veil drinks a milkshake? Or how her children recognise her? Or what happens when she sneezes?



Don’t worry, you are not alone. I have thoughts along these lines every time I see a woman in a niqab picking up her kids at our local school, her eyes peeping out from swaths of black. It got me thinking: how much of Britain’s wariness of the face veil is a fear of the unknown?

That’s when the idea for this public service was born. Few non-Muslims have the chance to speak to a woman in a face veil. And those who do often feel stutteringly nervous of giving offence. So here I present a guide to everything you ever wanted to know about a woman in a niqab but were too politically correct to ask.

Go on, I urged neighbours, friends, and colleagues, ask anything, it’s anonymous. Once they got over their inhibitions, the questions came thick and fast: pent-up fascination truly disproportionate to the few thousand niqab-wearers in Britain.

Their queries surprisingly tended towards the practical as much as the profound, and some were truly ridiculous.

Who would be game enough to be our subject? Zara Khan, 27, was born and raised in London and trained as a pharmacist before doing an MA in politics at the London School of Economics. She now works in the Midlands. Khan took the veil at 19, the first woman in her family to do so, and since then has had a lot of practice at explaining herself — starting with her parents.

We met in the lobby of her apartment block, her a whirl of black. This came off in three pieces, veil (niqab), headscarf (hijab), and robe (jilbab), as soon as we entered the flat; revealing skinny jeans, fitted top and smiling face. I don’t think I would have warmed to her as quickly as I did if I hadn’t seen her face. But when the photographer arrived, all that disappeared again.

“I warn you,” I told Khan as we sat down to lunch, “some of these questions are silly.”
“Go for it,” she said. “Nobody ever hears from the woman in the veil!”


1 How do children recognise their mothers in the veil? (This was the most-asked question)
By the eyes. And if it’s from the back, by their form. My nieces have seen me so many times in the veil, they just know.

2 Do you ever put it on over your pyjamas if you’re in a rush?
Lots of times. Once I was going up some stairs, and the person behind caught sight of them, and said, “Do I see pink flowers?” And I said, “Er, yes, my pyjamas, I overslept,” and they said, “You’re so lucky.”

3 Does it change the way you buy clothes?
No, I love to shop. I still go to Topshop and Selfridges. I dress up for women-only parties.

4 How did it feel the first time you wore it?
I thought I was going to die — it was so strange to have this material in front of your face. I felt the whole world was staring at me. It takes a lot of guts.

5 Why did you start wearing it?
I had a spiritual awakening when I was at university. I started wearing the headscarf. But the more I learnt about the religion, the more I wanted to practise. I wear it as it helps me to be a better person. It reminds me of my responsibilities as a Muslim. But I don’t think a garment in itself makes you good: I would never say that a woman in a veil is a better Muslim than one without.

6 How do you eat in a veil?
When I first put it on, I had to keep flipping the whole thing up. I didn’t know how I would ever eat in that thing. I learnt by watching friends. You carefully lift the side. In America I once had a milkshake, and sucked it up under my veil. The guy who sold it said, “Where did that go?” You have to accept that you need to wash the veil a lot.

7 How do you cope when it’s hot?
It’s not so bad. I wear a strappy top underneath, and a thin summer-weight jilbab.

8 Do you worry about lack of Vitamin D from the sun?
I’m aware of it. So I make sure when I’m at my parents’ house I sit out for ages in the garden in my shorts.

9 What if you’ve got a cold?
The veil is good for not spreading viruses! Really, it’s fine, you just use the tissues underneath.

10 What kind of reactions have you had?
Some very bad. A man on the street shouted: “Iraqi suicide bomber!” A man in Asda told me to go back to my country. I said, “What country?” A lot of people just stare very hard. One man on the Tube just stared with his face inches from mine — he was so angry he turned red.

11 Have you ever made faces underneath it or hidden anything underneath?
Yes. I have stuck my tongue out at people if they are being hostile. I also mouth words, such as “Whatever”, silently to myself. People who know me know when I’m doing it now — one colleague asked, “You just said ‘Whatever’, didn’t you?” As for hiding things, the worst I’ve done is smuggle chocolates out of my brother’s room.

12 Do you wear sunglasses?
No, I think it looks too weird. I need glasses, so I wear them at home and put in contacts for outside. To me the eyes speak more than anything.

13 What would you do if you went to France after their niqab ban?
I would take off the veil. You have to abide by local laws, that’s a Muslim thing to do.

14 How do you exercise?
I go to a mixed gym, but I wear a sports version of the jilbab.

15 Do you feel the veil dehumanises you?
No, it makes me feel more human than anything — because I’ve chosen freely.

16 What about other people who find it hard to see you as an individual?
When you talk to someone on the phone, you can connect with them as an individual without seeing their face. It’s just a matter of getting used to it. I’ve no issue with showing my face to anyone. I went to a job interview once, and I saw them stiffen when I walked in the room. I sat down and took my veil off, and the smiles came out. I always take it off when I work with children, or for security guards.

17 What do you think of women who dress provocatively?
That’s their right, as long as nobody forced them to dress like that. A lot of people say they wear the veil as they don’t want to be a sex object. I totally disagree with that — a man can be attracted to a woman in a veil. Just as the veil or headscarf does not make you a fantastic Muslim, a short skirt doesn’t make you a bad one.

18 Do you worry that your career prospects are limited by it?
Yes, that does upset me. I think I should be allowed to wear what I want.

19 Why do so many veiled women wear all-black?
It’s not a religious requirement. It just looks more elegant, it’s more common. Personally, I go out of my way to wear colour.

20 What do you think of these questions?
If you asked a different woman in a veil, you’d get different answers. But I’m pleased to be asked. People are curious, but they’re too worried to say things they think will offend.
That said, I think the veil is given too much media attention. There are more important things to focus on. It’s just a piece of cloth — get over it!

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/1244/wwwthetimescoukttolifea.jpg

Oranage2

Mohammid bless you?

slavetothegrind

interesting post! but in after hours?????

Degsy

I'm in favour of the wearing of the burka as it enables me to masturbate in Tesco.

Ali Babba

Isn't it against their religion to sneeze? I'm fairly sure they get beheaded if they do.............

Degsy

14 How do you exercise?
I go to a mixed gym, but I wear a sports version of the jilbab.

Whats that,,a lycra Burka?:rolleyes:

Ali Babba

Degsy wrote: »

I'm in favour of the wearing of the burka as it enables me to masturbate in Tesco.

..........or ON a plane.is that ok for you now millicent?

Millicent

Ali Babba wrote: »

..........or a plane.

How do you masturbate a plane? :pac:

Biggins

slavetothegrind wrote: »

interesting post! but in after hours?????

1. Makes a change from all the Ireland doom and gloom related threads (I'm just to blame previously but have given up for a while).
2. Its informative and eye-opener.

Neyite

it answered all the questions i hadnt even thought of yet!

wouldnt mind one to fling over the PJ's. nothing worse, especially this time of year that you get in the door after work, change into nice comfy PJs and stick on the kettle only to find there is no milk and you need to get all dressed again to pop to the corner shop.

and making faces at people. you'd have to be careful that you dont roll the eyes. i'd be the kind of twit that would do that while wearing a burka and thinking my boss couldnt see me

strobe

Degsy wrote: »

Whats that,,a lycra Burka?:rolleyes:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_or4Wyx27HeE/SNodNtrGJzI/AAAAAAAAAMU/4z-0kAmkC-s/s320/sportsuit.jpg

Biggins

Millicent wrote: »

How do you masturbate a plane? :pac:

I 'wood' have said "very carefully".

Degsy

strobe wrote: »

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_or4Wyx27HeE/SNodNtrGJzI/AAAAAAAAAMU/4z-0kAmkC-s/s320/sportsuit.jpg

Dig the shoes..very sporty.

Ali Babba

strobe wrote: »

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_or4Wyx27HeE/SNodNtrGJzI/AAAAAAAAAMU/4z-0kAmkC-s/s320/sportsuit.jpg

I didn't think they were allowed to smile either, whats that religion coming to at all at all, the next thing you'll be telling me is they don't actually travel in the boot with the goat ffs.

Biggins

Ali Babba wrote: »

I didn't think they were allowed to smile either, whats that religion coming to at all at all, the next thing you'll be telling me is they don't actually travel in the boot with the goat ffs.

Nay!

EverEvolving

Cool thread Biggins, when I seen the length of it I thought I would just read peoples reactions, then I got into it and read the entire thing!

Very interesting to hear things from their viewpoint.

Mike 1972

A thread in AH about burkas ?

Goodness whatever next !

Biggins

EverEvolving wrote: »

Cool thread Biggins, when I seen the length of it I thought I would just read peoples reactions, then I got into it and read the entire thing!

Very interesting to hear things from their viewpoint.

Its certainly answered a few questions I had - but was afraid to ask for offending.
...Now if I live long enough now just to see the next 3 new Star Wars films, I can die happy!

Pookah

slavetothegrind wrote: »

interesting post! but in after hours?????

Yes. Biggins is trying to lift the veil on the mysteries of the burqa.

Sticky_Fingers

Mike 1972 wrote: »

A thread in AH about burkas ?

Goodness whatever next !

I nominate a thread about miniskirts

I'll start it off:

http://my.prostreetonline.com/photos/data/508/350z-and-girl-in-miniskirt-78.jpg

PanchoVilla

I just got home from the shop. On my way there, I passed a group of young people smoking outside the pub. There were three young girls (15-17) wearing miniskirts up to their arse cheeks, shivering like chihuahuas on a cold day, and about ten or fifteen young lads about the same age swarming them but not actually talking to them. It was a strange and uncomfortable sight to say the least.

HavingCrack

PanchoVilla wrote: »

I just got home from the shop. On my way there, I passed a group of young people smoking outside the pub. There were three young girls (15-17) wearing miniskirts up to their arse cheeks, shivering like chihuahuas on a cold day, and about ten or fifteen young lads about the same age swarming them but not actually talking to them. It was a strange and uncomfortable sight to say the least.

What's that got to do with anything I honestly don't get it

EDIT: My mistake, missed the post above yours

Auldloon

I detest religious fanatics regardless of creed.

Biggins

Chuileog wrote: »

I detest religious fanatics regardless of creed.

Fair enough but this thread is about one standard religious practise and I/the Times offer a glimpse into that.
No one has gone on about religious fanatics in this thread so far.

Thats another issue - for another possible thread.

dan185

strobe wrote: »

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_or4Wyx27HeE/SNodNtrGJzI/AAAAAAAAAMU/4z-0kAmkC-s/s320/sportsuit.jpg

how in the name of all things holy does the basketball stay there?

Balfie

Thank you.... Come Again....

partyatmygaff

Why doesn't someone have a little Q&A with non-European Muslims. I'd wager a guess and say that if you were to ask those exact same questions to them you'd yield much different replies.

Try here
http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/index;_ylt=AhC_EOTtisfeW4K_soYYzUwzDX1G;_ylv=3?sid=396545472

strobe

dan185 wrote: »

how in the name of all things holy does the basketball stay there?

1. If Allah wills it, it is possible.

2. Man hands.

3. Witch Craft - "you stole my soul!"

southsiderosie

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Why doesn't someone have a little Q&A with non-European Muslims. I'd wager a guess and say that if you were to ask those exact same questions to them you'd yield much different replies.

Try here
http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/index;_ylt=AhC_EOTtisfeW4K_soYYzUwzDX1G;_ylv=3?sid=396545472

I think it depends on the country. A Saudi will have something different to say than a Malaysian. Class and education matter as well; this woman was highly educated and seemed relatively well off, whereas a girl who just arrived in the UK from a village in Bangladesh would probably have a different story as well.

Nevertheless, it was an interesting article.

Mike 1972

Chuileog wrote: »

I detest religious fanatics regardless of creed.

religious fanatics ? Where ????

Auldloon

Mike 1972 wrote: »

religious fanatics ? Where ????

How could you have missed her?