Although I’m really not a fan of religion I respect the right of anyone to believe in whatever hocus-pocus they please. However I don’t respect or even accept when parents, teachers, and/or other insecure and misguided adults try to impose this hocus-pocus on children by threatening them with beatings and/or eternal suffering in a place they call “hell”. Forcing toddlers to wear a hijab in the 38C (100F) tropical heat is bad however I think forcing children as young as 10 to wear a niqab is even worse.

As other children were swimming/playing at the beach it was sad to see two poor girls have to drink their bottles of soda and eat their fried chicken by strategically placing it under and up their beekeeper suits. Not only could they not go swimming they weren’t even allowed to eat their food the way humans have for hundreds of thousands of years and that is NOT from underneath a black sheet with eye holes. Moreover the two older women they were with weren’t even wearing niqabs just hijabs which still make me cringe but at least they allow a person to eat and drink and have a face in society.

I’ve seen local women in beekeeper suits before and as sad as it is I’ve never said anything however I can’t be quiet if I see skinny little 12 year old girls forced to wear them so I politely I told the two adults that it was pitiful and that kids should be allowed to be kids and when they do grow up to decide for themselves whether or not they want to go through life dressed like that. They didn’t appear angry about me calling them out but thought it was amusing that I actually stopped my beach run to do so. Not that I could see their reactions or they’d have the courage speak but I’m guessing the two girls agreed with my comments.