When a young boy from the Tuareg tribes of North Africa becomes a man, he's given his first veil-cum-turban in an all-day celebration. The cloth is wound around his face and head, leaving only his eyes visible. This veil isn't just practical, to keep out the sun and sand of the desert, but has significant religious, cultural and political meanings.
Amid the controversy surrounding the issue of Muslim women covering their faces, Heart and Soul this week is looking at men who veil. Last year the British politician, Jack Straw, caused a national debate after he questioned the wearing of the face veil. In Western countries it's often associated with strict and rigid Islamic teaching, and interpreted as a symbol of oppression against women. But the academic Fadwa El Guindi has written a book about the meaning of the veil, and believes it's time to stop seeing it as something that is women-only, and that men also have a tradition of veiling.
Navid Akhtar finds out about men who veil, hearing from Sufi mystics in Cairo who cover their faces as an act of devotion. He visits a Jain temple to talk to members who cover their mouth and nose in the temple, to focus their thoughts inwards, and the singer in the band Tinariwen explains how the Tuareg wear their veil with pride - and how it can be seen politically as an act of defiance.
In listening to their stories, Navid explores the complex meanings behind the veil for both men and women.
19 September - programme times
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