Sea of Burkas

I look around the hotel and I see a sea of women in head to toe in black burkas, blanketing them all over except leaving a window for their eyes.  Sometimes though, they cover their whole face with a sheer black cloth leaving them looking like a black ghost. According to the islamic religion you have to cover everything but your face and hands. Even in ads the face is bare. But people who cover their entire face do it voluntarily. I was shocked to see that probably 90% of the population of women here wore this attire. When I went shopping I saw the same women dressed head to toe in the black outfit shopping for sheer short sleeve tops. They would only wear these tops at parties just with their girlfriends or alone with their husbands. But in public, all I see is a sea of burkas.