Facemasks and Headscarves

We may feel uncomfortable when someone hides their face from us. Hoodies and headscarves scare some people, and now we have virus-protector facemasks to deal with.

Do these articles of clothing represent an evil presence? Are the people underneath these coverings intent on something secretive, something harmful to us? Or are they simply following health or culture directives?

Get Informed

When facemask recommendations, then regulations, entered the world, many felt they were a right reaction to help stop the spread of the pandemic. Debates over personal rights, religious objections, and future health consequences began to emerge, then ramped up over vaccinations. Everyone seemed able to find the information to fuel their own choices.

What about headscarves? When asked, many Muslim women will describe a sense of security and expression of modesty when covered. Cultural, familial, and religious expectations determine what type of covering a woman might wear. Most little girls do not wear veils and scarves until puberty.

Here is a brief description of various Muslim head coverings:

• Hijab is the common term for the overall Muslim modest dress code, but also refers to the scarf which covers only the hair and can be colorful to coordinate with the woman’s outfit.
• Burka is a full face and body cover with only a mesh screen to allow visibility for the wearer and often is blue, but can be in white, amber, or other colors. (This is most often associated with Afghan women.)
• Chador is a full body cloak held at the neck or over the face by the woman’s hand, seen in Iran and other Central Asian countries, is often black but can be other colors.
• Khimar covers the hair, neck, and shoulders—but not usually the face—in a tight fit.
• Niqab covers the full head and face, only allowing the eyes to show. It is often black and accompanied with an abaya—a loose wrap covering the woman to her ankles, most often in black, worn in Middle Eastern countries.

My Response

Living seven years in Afghanistan and traveling in the Middle East gave me a new perspective. I wore a headscarf, however hot in the summer or frustrating in the wind. Veiled women in sparrow-blue burkas with webbed eye windows and black abayas with partial or full niqabs were commonplace in my world then.

As hundreds of Afghans, other immigrants, and international students at local universities start to arrive, there are many women in headscarves walking around my Kansas town these days. With the continuing caution to curb COVID-19, many faces are unreadable with the addition of masks.

My choice? I can live in fear of basically everyone since I cannot know their heart’s motivations—or I can believe the best of my fellow human beings as we all struggle through this scary life.

I can make every effort to appear kind and approachable, while of course conducting myself carefully and wisely. I can make eye contact and speak politely, even if my smile is concealed by a face mask. As others give me grace for my choice of protective covering, I can do the same for them.

Headscarves and facemasks are everywhere in the world. Resist feeling afraid or judging. Western women, don’t shy away from greeting a veiled sister in your path. Smile. Say hello, even through a face mask. (Men are not encouraged to speak to unaccompanied, unknown Muslim women, for cultural sensitivity.)

We must remember—under these coverings, there is a human being who is not much different than us in their quest to live well.