I’ve always been the sort of person who loved to experiment, but I never expected that wearing the niqab would be something I’d try.

I felt conflicted before I began to wear it a few months ago. I am aware of the negative perceptions of the niqab, and thought it could change my life drastically. Would it be hard at university, where I study medical science? The majority of the students aren’t Muslim. I wondered whether I would have to be out of sight, out of mind, most of the time.



Would wearing the niqab disconnect me from the world? I hadn’t seen that in other women who wear the niqab or burqa, but considered the worst-case scenario. As it turned out, my fears were misplaced. It’s so much easier than I had thought, and didn’t change my life at all.

Respect and honour don’t come from being like others, or following what others follow – that’s why I put the niqab on. It’s my way of expressing obedience to my lord; it’s a command that I adhere to, through which I find my honour. It is not a garment of oppression, it is a garment that represents a timeless modesty that does not conform to society.

I was not forced to wear the niqab. In fact, my parents aren’t the biggest fans of my decision. In the months before making my decision I spent a lot of time with women who inspired me; they never asked me or pushed me towards putting it on, they were simply the most enjoyable company to have.

Nor is it oppressive. I feel liberated by the fact that I choose what you see. We pass judgement on how a person looks before we know them. When you deal with me, you deal with my mind, my personality, my emotions and what I have to offer as a person – and that’s it.

Tony Abbott and Jacqui Lambie say that any restriction on the burqa or niqab is a matter for national security. I completely understand, but their claims are ignorant: in fact it is is part of sharia law that we must uncover our faces for identification. When I went to get a parking permit at my university, I asked if I needed to show my face.



Banning the niqab or burqa would take away my right to live in the way that fits me. That restricts my freedom and puts me in a position where I must be especially cautious of my surroundings. Violence and abuse against Muslim women has increased as a result of the fear-mongering on this issue.

No matter what law is passed on the niqab, it will not stop me from wearing it. I don’t want to be controlled and told what I can and can not wear: that is oppression.

