Increasingly in the western world, nothing symbolizes the “otherness” of Islam like the veiled Muslim woman. If she chooses to remain quietly home undertaking domestic duties with patient dignity she is rendered invisible and mysterious, veiled by the walls of her home. If she emerges into the public square the perceptions and stereotypes surrounding her veil her in ways the cloth covering her face never could. In many instances, those perceptions serve to negate her humanity, rendering her invisible despite her conspicuousness. To some, she is seen as the antithesis of the freedom, liberty and equality that is said to define the modern world.

The “otherness” she represents cannot be separated from the perceptions that negate her. Thus negated she can have no agency. Her veiling her face cannot be the result of her choice, nor can it be a result of her religious consciousness –a vital aspect of…

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