Straw In An Islamic Wind

Aishah grew up in Britain, but her veiled ways now suggest a conversion from Indian Islam to its more severe strain in Britain. There are women enough in burqa in India, in line with family tradition. But not many young, professional Muslim women choose to migrate to life behind a veil as Aishah has. A burqa in India is tradition; an Islamic veil in Britain is a statement. It comes in extreme form, but thousands of young Muslim women in Britain have taken fairly recent decisions to dress Islamic, in the head scarf more than the veil. Because it's unseen, Aishah is the changing face of Islam in the West.

Seema Bokharee, an Indian Muslim, decided to wear the head scarf six years back though her husband didn't particularly want her to. "I wore it because it was something I wanted my children to understand," she told Outlook. Islam itself is not clear on recommending either the veil or the head scarf, but it must be the woman's choice, she said. "I'd say most of us are wearing the hijab because we wish to. We feel that it is something within our religion."