Well, before all the usual MC BS bigoted hysteria gets going... angels rush in and all that...

Cultural: When one visits an area where such a practice (whatever that practice is viewed as by the visitors) is the culture, the old saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" seems good advice.

So when Western women visit an area where wearing such visually blocking costume is the norm, they mostly comply out of respect for that culture - it puts people there at their ease.

So why, when in the West, where the normal culture is to inspire fear and distrust when faces, most especially EYES are concealed (due to DIFFERING HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL reasons), is it so wrong to ask for a little cultural respect in return?

My mum often wore a scarf covering her hair in the 1950s and 60s - it meant that she could go out without needing to spend ages getting her hair 'right', and also was quite 'trendy and fashionable' at the time.