Boreal

The Face Behind the Veil

Face covering veils such as the niqab, a veil with only a narrow slit for the eyes, can mask a clear and present danger both to the individual and to national security, and it's not because wearers of the niqab tend to adhere to a strict sect of Sunni Islam.

A few years back I was walking along the Rideau Canal near the National Arts Center, which is located only a few hundred yards from Parliament Hill, when I spotted an imposing figure covered in a tent-like, dark-brown garment coming towards me.

The individual's face was covered by a niqab and, he or she, was wearing a burka (a loose fitting, voluminous garment).

Even when we were just a few feet from each other, it was impossible to ascertain if the person beneath that tent-like covering was a man or a woman.

It is a most unsettling feeling to know you are being watched and not being able to identify who is watching you and whether it is a friendly, innocent stare or a cold calculating one.

The concealed figure walking towards me towered over a thirty-something bearded balding man next to it pushing a baby carriage. The burka appeared to be made of silk with, what appeared to be gold embroidery, so it was probably a well-do-do Muslim family with the diplomatic corps out for a stroll.

But what if you were a terrorist like Yassin Omar* who wanted to reconnoiter the site of a planned attack without being recognized or challenged by the security forces – the niqab-burka combination is a perfect disguise! Not only will your face, your sex be hidden, but because the niqab wearer is also expected to wear gloves, you won't even leave fingerprints behind.

Bernard Payeur

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