Hiding nothing?

I can understand and sympathise with Jack Straws calls for Muslim women to remove the veil during his MP surgery. I can also understand why it may be better for women not to wear the veil at all.

My family offered to share a departmental store lift with a woman wearing the niqab (eyes only showing) and she chose to decline but it would’ve been nice to have seen her face as the shake of her head did nothing other than indicate her declination of the offer, all other nuances passed us by.

I may not fully understand the reasons for wearing the veil but I can see how it may come across as a statement of not willing to integrate into ‘British’ society.

I cannot help but wonder when I see the full veil whether or not it is the women or the men in their lives that see the wearing of such garments as a requirement of their religion?