If it is hard for a girl who wears niqab to eat in a restaurant, then can she remove it? People stare at her! What should she do?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We have previously underlined in fatwa 90555 that, according to the preponderant opinion of the scholars, the Muslim woman is obliged to cover her face. Eating is not a valid excuse for the woman to uncover her face before non-mahram (marriageable) men, regardless of whether that be in a restaurant or elsewhere. When a woman needs to eat in a restaurant, she can eat there without taking off her niqaab or take the food and find a place where she will not be seen by non-mahram men. We believe that this should be easy to do.

Allaah knows best.