Indonesia’s ‘Niqab Squad’ takes aim at face veil prejudice

BEKASI, Indonesia: Riding a horse or nailing an archery target is tough at the best of times -- it’s even harder when you’re wearing a Niqab. But that isn’t about to stop a group of Indonesian women who have banded together to combat prejudice against the face-covering veil, which has been at the centre of a heated global debate over religious freedom and women’s rights.
The "Niqab Squad" meets to recite the Holy Qura'an or, at one recent gathering, mounted horses and tried their gloved hands at archery, activities endorsed by Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Janariah, a 19-year-old group member, had never ridden a horse before but she gave it a whirl in her flowing black veil, as other Niqab-wearing novices fired off arrows with suction-cup tips.
"It’s not really difficult," insisted Janariah, who like many Indonesians goes by name, as she giggled and tried to keep her animal on track in the blazing Jakarta sun. "Even running is okay. If you’re used to it, it’s comfortable. The most important thing is that you don’t see it (Niqab) as a burden and you’ve got to be patient."
Although the body covering garment with narrow slits to see through is common in Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf states, they’re rare in Indonesia, where around 90 percent of its 255 million people have traditionally followed a moderate form of Islam.
Recently, a private Islamic high school on the main island Java was reprimanded by local officials after pictures went viral online that showed a classroom of female students wearing Niqab. The veils violated a national regulation on acceptable school uniforms.
Seeking out other women facing discrimination online, Indadari Mindrayanti founded the squad this year after switching from hijab -- a headscarf that leaves the face visible -- to the more restrictive Niqab in 2016.
The twice-divorced Mindrayanti - who was once married to an Indonesian soap opera celebrity - saw it was a way to be more pious but the decision hasn’t gone over well with her family or people on the street who often give her "weird looks". She saw it was a way to be more pious but the decision hasn’t gone over well with her family or people on the street who often give her "weird looks".