Mrs. Frum’s Burka Adventure

“If I had chosen to walk about Washington in a white hood and sheets, rather than black ones, I doubt I would have encountered such universal politeness. And yet, what the Klan outfit represents to someone of African-American descent is exactly what the burka should represent to every free woman.

(…)

“Ironically, the few people who exhibited hostility to my costume came from a particular Muslim immigrant group. Many of Washington’s taxi drivers originated in Somalia. These drivers glowered at me in traffic. When I tried to hail a cab, four empty taxis drove past without stopping. My teenage son then stepped forward to flag one–and was picked up immediately.