This is what some new Muslim women had to say about their experiences with the practice of the covering of the hair and rest of the body.

"I've been wearing the hijab (veil) three years now. For me, it's been very liberating. To tell you the truth, it allows you to be a person, and not just a woman or thing to be looked at. People listen to you. I used to be very heavy. . . When I lost the weight again, I noticed those looks and things, where. . . someone is talking to you, but they're looking at your chest. With the hijab, I notice it's gone away."

"Wearing it makes me feel like when people look at me, they're looking at me not for what my body looks like, but more for what I do and what I contribute."

"I do it because that's what God has ordained. . . . I also wear it as a form of modesty. . . . And it protects us from sexual harassment. I saw a woman wearing a short skirt, and I saw these men just looking at her, talking and smiling, and I'm like, 'They don't even respect women.' I'm thankful that in my religion, women are respected."