Rights or Oppression?

I just read a news story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11020700) about a judge in Australia who has ordered a Muslim woman to remove her niqab (head and face scarf) when she gives her testimony in a fraud case. The reason given by the judge was that the jury should be able to see her facial expressions as she gives her account. It was not the story so much that has made me write this, but the comments from the variety of different people - everything from support for the judge to support for the woman to calling Australia a 'bigot nation' (no mention of the French however, who have just passed a law completely banning the burqa).

I have to admit that prior to leaving Australia, I would have whole heartedly agreed with the removal of the facial coverings of these women, considering them to be forced into wearing it by an oppressive religion and oppressive male-dominated society. Now don't tell me many of you reading this would also have agreed, let's be honest with ourselves here.

Now however, after living in the Middle East, a purely Muslim part of the world, my views have greatly changed.

When you do see the women of Oman, generally at the department stores, they wear a long flowing black dress as the standard garb, edged with some sort of sparkling thing (it wouldn't surprise me if some of the 'sparkles' were actually swarovski crystals) and with varying headress from just covering the head, hair and neck (hijab) to covering the head, hair, neck and face (leaving only an eye slit) or a complete covering of the face with a slightly transparent veil. Sometimes even full length gloves are worn. Sounds oppressive, right? Well actually...

These women walk around with an air of.... I don't really know what the right word is, but it is like they are seperate to everyone else around me. It's almost an ethereal quality, one that I wish I possessed. As a Western woman, I move out of the way of these women, they do not and they look you up and down - just like what happens in Australia - but here, my westener's clothes just feel tacky compared to them.

It is also a choice that is made by the women as to what level they go too with their garments. They are not forced, they choose. And from what I have observed, their husbands respect their decisions.

Women are most definitely not oppressed here, at least not in Oman, they are held aloft as sacred and special. We talk of the death of chivalry in Australia, not here.