Mosul residents divided over 'burqa ban'
First the Islamic State and now security restrictions on wearing the full face veil, or niqab, have women and others in Mosul reassessing their perceptions of the practice.
MOSUL, Iraq — Mosul is a city known for its conservative nature and patriarchal social character, but the decision to wear a headscarf is often related to the family and the area where a woman lives. It is perhaps unsurprising that Iraqi opinions vary on a ban imposed on the face veil — known as the niqab — June 1 by the Ninevah province police command on areas liberated from the Islamic State (IS). Supporters view it as a necessary security measure, while detractors see it as a violation of personal liberty.
The hijab covers the hair but leaves the face uncovered, while the niqab, worn with a hijab, covers the lower part of the face, leaving only the eyes visible, and can cover parts of the lower body as well. Among the opponents of the current ban is a young woman seen crossing the street in a long black, loose-fitting jilbab in eastern Mosul, which was liberated in January. Once she arrived at the gate of the Ibn al-Athir Hospital, she unveiled her face to a policeman to identity herself. After being allowed entry, she immediately covered it again.
“I was wearing it long before IS,” she told Al-Monitor. “I suffer from attempts at intimidating me to take it off. People consider me an IS agent. Wearing niqab is a religious duty, just like praying, and I will never take it off.”
Farah, another Mosul resident, sees the issue differently. “I am totally for the ban to protect civilians,” she said. “If a woman wants to dress modestly, she could just wear loose clothes.”
