1/4 Went to Faysal Bank today after 6months, to find to my horror, all its female employees encased in abayas with heads covered! I asked the lovely girl who usually serves me if this was a personal choice. ‘No!’ she whispered. ‘It’s a directive from above.’ Could she resist?

2/4 ‘Only at the risk of losing my job’ she said, looking miserable. ‘It wasn’t as if we were traipsing around in jeans & T-shirts. You’ve seen us. Our dress was always correct.’ The guys meanwhile were kitted out in neck ties and suits. ‘No thob?’ I asked my male banker.

3/4 No keffiye? ‘What can we do? It’s Faysal Islamic Bank now,’ he said sheepishly. ‘But only for women?’ I asked. ‘We will also get our directives soon,’ he replied. ‘And what will they be? A shalwar hitched to the ankles? A beard? A topi?’ ‘Don’t know’ he mumbled.

4/4 ‘I hope you don’t expect your women customers to also wear abayas now?’ No, not at all, he assured me. ‘So,’ I persisted, ‘if it’s Islamic then no interest either?’ Er, no, that will remain. So it’s just appearances then. Why am I not surprised?