Does my head look big in this? - and other links on women wearing the veil

Within the last two days I have seen three pieces about wearing the veil, and they’re all worth checking out.

The most interesting read is a first-person account by Megan K. Stack, an LA Times reporter who covered stories in Saudi Arabia.  Did you know that the Starbucks in Riyadh has a separate entrance and seating area for women?  That U.S. hotel chains require women checking in to bring a letter from a company saying that they have enough money to pay the bill?  These facts are interesting enough, but the article is fascinating because the author does an excellent job of weaving together a discussion of American foreign policy, interviews with Saudi citizens, and personal reflections on being required to conceal her body.

The second story comes from Muslim Wake-Up!  They have an interview with Randa Abdel-Fatta, who has written a young adult book about a Muslim teenager managing adolescence after deciding to wear the veil called, Does My Head Look Big In This?  I love that title. 

Finally, Syrian cartoonist Puppeteer brings us an amusing cartoon showing all the different styles of veiling (or hijab).  I agree with Svend at Akram’s Razor that while the cartoon is meant to depict hijab in Syria, it works well for other Muslim societies, too.  You can find almost all of these styles by walking on the streets of Istanbul (although I think most Turkish maids are Moldovan and not Indonesian).