N I Q A B

Niqab — it is a small piece of cloth covering the lower part of the face, leaving only the eyes exposed, but it causes huge controversy in both Muslim and non-Muslim circles. It is variously seen as a symbol of oppression, piety, blind conformity, fundamentalism, radical Islamism, individuality and yes, even feminism (anti-objectification of women). But while vilified in the West, it is simultaneously also romanticized and, dare I say, fetishized. These pictures say it all...