The Coronavirus Face Veil

As I walked through the automatic doors of my local Wal-mart, on a mildly chill Saturday afternoon, I found myself feeling awkward and out of place. As a Muslim, you would expect this feeling to be all too common; nothing to write home about, right? But, this day was different. I don’t wear a veil myself, but here I am standing amongst a sea of face veiled individuals without a face mask of my own. In totality, I reckon that of all 200+ people I encountered that day running errands, 3 had no face covering, with myself being the 3rd.

On my way home, this had me thinking and contemplating about societal norms and the status quo; about trends and assimilation's. “You’re not wearing a mask? How irresponsible…” Today, I was being judged by those who normally spew anti-Muslim propaganda at the supposed “ abasement ” of women, but with a different agenda. In an era of social justice and a “don’t judge me bro” mentality, the hypocrisy is now on full display.

France, rich in tragic irony, held their world-renowned Paris fashion week last month, where models wore face coverings similar to the Muslim face veil they had banned in 2011. The ban affected women who wore the niqab or the burka with those caught by authorities facing fines upwards of $259.

France became the first-ever country to ban covering one’s face in a public place. Mask-like articles of clothing became legally sinister. For at least a decade, face coverings have been considered dangerous. The law prohibits the wearing of ski masks, full-face helmets, balaclavas, niqabs and burqas in public buildings, such as schools, hospitals, and public transport.

During last month's infamous fashion show "The Paris Fashion Week", models were seen wearing masks and veils, similar to what Muslim women wear to protect their faces in modesty. Neither the chic outfit, nor the tight exposé of the female body were the focal points today, no. This was a display to promote awareness regarding the covering of face, nose, and mouth to protect oneself from the Coronavirus.

Many fashion brands are now encouraging their models to wear iconic and uniquely designed face masks. A large variety of face masks were showcased that included knit pieces as well as gingham prints, fully covering the faces of the models on the runway. The fact that they are now increasingly seen as de rigueur is indicative of the speed with which cultural perceptions change.

Last week in Lombardy, the northern Italian region worst affected by the novel coronavirus, introduced a law to compel citizens to wear face masks outside of their homes. But in December 2015, Lombardy became the first Italian region to outlaw face coverings in public offices and hospitals.
Austria has also executed a similar U-turn. On March 30th, it joined several European countries – Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Bosnia-Herzegovina – in making face masks compulsory in public. Yet, in 2017, a legal ban on clothing that covers the face was adopted by the Austrian parliament.

These “trends” are clear evidence of the hypocrisy steaming through the social fabric of many governments and neo nationalists.

Lawyer and graphic designer Namira Islam Anani observed the country's apparent double standard, writing: "And here I was told covering your face was objectively offensive and a security threat."

"Didn’t they ban the niqab? Now they are ok with covering the face!" One follower soon replied.

In countries like these, Muslim women have reported losing their jobs, like being teachers and health care providers, and unable to access government facilities because they choose to wear a “face mask”.

I can hear the counter claimant nay-sayers shouting from their soap boxes now: “Our face masks are to protect us from a virus that infects our bodies”. And to that we respond, “Our face masks are to protect us from the prying eyes of strange men that infect the sanctity of the female temple.” Many Muslim women feel that the face veil helps them connect with their creator. They find it to be more modest, and spiritually preserving. Some even consider it a fashion statement. Who am I or anyone else to prevent them from expressing their love for God in the way they choose to? From a liberal perspective, this is the height of hypocrisy.

Even a strong minded, opinionated male, such as myself, can understand that. God sure has a subtle, yet powerful way of humbling us. Ya Latif.