Sydney mother of three opens up about her choice to wear the niqab and life as a Muslim Australian
With stories of young Australian radicals travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside Islamic State militants, and our defence forces going back into Iraq to try and combat them, many Muslim Australians are facing increased incidents of abuse and sometimes even attack – particularly women wearing the veil.
So what is life like behind the veil?
While the burka is rarely worn in Australia, many Islamic women choose to cover their faces with a veil known as the niqab, which covers all of the face except for the eyes.
Anisa Khan is one of them.
Born and raised in Sydney, Anisa is a fifth-generation Australian of Pakistani heritage.
"I'm an everyday mum – busy running my business, raising three kids, looking after our home and doing my everyday chores," she says.
She is also a devout Muslim.
"Faith for me is a very integral part of my life and it begins in the morning before sunrise until late evening," she explains.
This morning she is off to the veil shop to buy a headscarf for her daughter.
Anisa started wearing her niqab a week after the September 11 attacks in 2001, after friends were vilified and picked on for "appearing Muslim".
This inspired her to study Islam, where she "fell in love with the Prophet" and had a spiritual connection.
Anisa insists her decision to wear the niqab was hers alone.
In fact, she thinks her husband was a little overwhelmed when she told him – but he has been supportive.
Anisa tells 7.30 "oppression is when you don't have a choice in the matter".
"We have a choice in everything we do, it's the freedom of choice that we wish to put it on and by taking that away, where is the freedom?" she said.
While Anisa says she has had no issues wearing her veil, she believes being confident and interacting with people helps break down barriers.
But her mother, Aisha Khan, was concerned when Anisa announced she was going to wear the niqab, and acknowledges there have been some moments.
"There have been times when she has gone to the supermarket and little kids get scared and say, 'oh Mum, look at the ninja," Aisha recalls.
"Then she has gone up and said, 'darling, I'm not a ninja, it's just a facemask, you know, it's just a niqab, I am just like your Mum'. And they say, 'Mummy, she is a nice lady'. I think it's just that people are scared, they don't know what to expect."
Anisa says a lack of knowledge and understanding about the niqab makes the veil intimidating for some people.
She hopes to open up people's minds and show the "true spirits" of Muslim women.
"I love being an Australian," she says.
"I hope people open up their views and their opinions about Muslims and approach Muslim women in a nice manner and ask them about their lives, their faith and what they do because they would be amazed and surprised," Anisa said.
