According to the Swedish Information Center, Camilla Glenstrup—a 23-year-old Swedish woman born and raised in Malmö—began wearing the niqab (face veil) after converting to Islam, stating that this attire gives her a sense of freedom.

This comes as the Christian Democrats (KD) and the Sweden Democrats (SD) are heading into the 2026 elections with proposals to ban the burqa and niqab in public places.

Camilla was not born a Muslim. Before turning to Islam at the age of twenty, she was a Buddhist. She has a deeply religious Thai mother and a Swedish father with no religious beliefs.

Camila says she feels she has found her true place in Islam. Her introduction to Islam began through a friend, but it was primarily online—during the COVID-19 pandemic—that she watched lectures about the faith.

The decision to convert was not easy within her family. Camilla says her family was strongly opposed to it, and she initially kept her conversion a secret because she feared her parents’ reactions, especially her mother’s.

She says, “It was a very difficult situation for me. I was terrified of my parents, especially my mother. I wanted to say I had become a Muslim, but I kept it hidden.”

When she decided to wear the hijab, the situation at home became extremely tense—in her own words, “When I said I wanted to wear the hijab, there was chaos and turmoil at home. I just kept wondering: Should I run away? Should I pray? Should I just stand there and stay silent? I was breathless; I was terrified.”

Regarding the reason for her mother’s concern, she says, “She was afraid I would change. But I am the same person I always was. It took some time, but eventually, my mother understood. Still, our relationship was very tense at first.”

According to Camila, her family’s perception of Islam had been shaped by media coverage. “They saw the Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group in the news, but Daesh has nothing to do with me. People need to look at the positive aspects of Islam.”

Camila chose to wear the hijab for the first time in 2024. She says that before that, she dressed like any other young woman—jeans, shirts, jackets, and plenty of makeup—though she notes that her attire was relatively modest even then; she didn't leave her arms or legs exposed.

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Over time, she felt more comfortable covering her body and eventually chose the niqab—a garment that covers the face, leaving only the eyes visible. She speaks about it with great enthusiasm. When she bought the niqab online and tried it on, she filmed herself and shared the video.

Her perspective on the niqab differs completely from the common perception that views it as a symbol of women’s oppression.

She says, “It gives me a sense of peace. I feel like a free woman. I just feel that with this attire, I can truly be myself. But many people don’t understand that. They think I am oppressed and that I was forced into this.”

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