Hi, sorry its probably not my place to comment....but, and I guess this only really applies if you are unsure of the religious prescription, but if you have a choice between niqab and headscarf hijab, why not have hijab... as it means that we can see each others facial expressions!
Maybe there is a danger in crossing the line between being modest and becoming invisible? Although our eyes can say a lot, and we can still speak from under layesrs of cloth, is relying on niqab for modesty too much? Isn't our intention and behaviour more important, by which I mean, dressing as we are comfortable and being modest in our approach and actions. Isn't it dangerous to concentrate too much on the outside - whether as a guide to faith or lack of it?
It seems like men can find anything physical to judge us on... if we cover everything but our feet, they will look at that! If we cover everything and can't even see our way, would they judge what colour we are covering with? Surely its not all the women's responsibility - men should also be careful about how they look at us, and making a judgement about a women based on whether she covers 70% or 80% is surely forgetting to concentrate on more important things - faith, character, and so on.
I realise that these arguments can kind of go both ways, and its all about drawing a line. However, especially in non-Muslim countries, modesty is to a certain degree, a relative concept. No-one is going to be staring too much at your face if you don't flirt etc and especially when there are plenty of women around wearing mini-skirts who want to be stared at
What do you think?
I hope I haven't offended anyone,,,just thinking 'out loud'