I was raised in the era of cowboys and indians and western movies. It's remarkable how little of that ethos stuck to me, but one bit did: the outlaws, when they raided the bank or held up the stage wore bandannas over their faces. A practice that's still around in one from or other. If you're up to no good it's a reasonable plan to cover up your face. It's a tacit admission that a face revealed can be brought to justice. The niqab then ironically reveals the need to be secret. To expose the face allows expression, which in turn promotes familiarity, which flies in the face of ownership ( chattel). Islam is filled to the brim with nervous jealous men. And the women have largely signed on.