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333 Alexandra Ainz Galende A closer study of the discourse of niqabi women… researcher who conducted the study was aware that within the Muslim community there are differences of opinion as to how the surah and hadiths that speak of the niqab and even the hijab should be interpreted, she was determined to find out why some women regard the use of the niqab as obligatory while others see it as recommendable. However, when we tried to explore the issue in more depth, we realised that it was going to be very difficult for the women to give us the names of the sheikhs or «sages», as they call them, that they regard as an authority on the subject at the actual interview. Nevertheless, we managed to obtain three names: Sheikh Al-Albani, Sheikh Al-Fawzan and Sheikh Al-Ghudayyan, all of whom are Salafis. The women insist that their sources of reference are primarily the Internet and Facebook (especially the ones we contacted via this medium). It can be said that the other women’s knowledge of Islam was less thorough and their discourse less articulate. They said they watched Al Jazeera; some of them watched Córdoba Televisión and especially YouTube videos, but were unable to say exactly which channels. When they have doubts about something, they mostly look to the Internet for clarification and, in a few specific cases, an imam. One of the women said that she did not like asking the imam because he sometimes regarded the niqab issue with suspicion. This point is very interesting because it demonstrates that the imam at the mosque does not influence the women’s discourse on the use of the niqab or other issues that were discussed in the interviews, but that their discourse is shaped by what they find published on the Internet, thus supporting the theory that social media is the vehicle for conveying the most conservative Islamic ideology23. «I don’t know why, but some Muslims reject the niqab, there are even imams who don’t like it and they avoid you like the plague (laughs) when you go to them with questions, which is what you were asking me. I don’t go to the imam of the mosque; I search on the Internet, I look for reliable sources based on the Quran and the Sunna. I ask a lot in groups of fellow Muslim sisters and they are kind enough to help me find an answer. The Quran says that you have to cover yourself. Some people don’t see this or don’t want to see it, but that’s why we have the great sages; it is ultimately their responsibility to tell us what to do. If you make a mistake, they pay for it, they look for the information, and do you know what I mean? Neither you, nor I, nor anyone is qualified to do this…I can’t remember the names of these sheikhs right now, but there is one Saudi one that I really like. He’s very clear and leaves no room for doubt. But then everyone just does as they please…» (Meryem). Thematic block IV, which contains the answers to the questions about sources of reference and ideology, is summarised in the table below. 23  AINZ, Alexandra; CHECA, Juan Carlos; and MORENO, María José (2011). Redes sociales y religión: El caso del grupo «Islam español en Facebook». Prisma Social: Revista de ciencias sociales. http://revista.ieee.es

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