Photo by: AFP

"At first relations were lukewarm, especially since we don't come from a rich country with things to offer the people," she said. "All we can offer them is respect and a smile. "But since I started wearing the veil, people have been more welcoming with me and also with my colleagues. This has opened more doors and opportunities to strike up friendships. "They began inviting us into their homes for coffee or sweets. And when we pass by the children smile and wave at us," she said. "Today I feel almost as if I have a second family in Debbine, Blat and Arid," she added of the mostly Shiite villages in the area. Wyszomirska said that wearing the veil was "a gesture from the heart -- it was not imposed on me." Her superior welcomed the idea that she dons the veil during the holy month. "He also suggested to me that I explain Ramadan customs to the other soldiers so they can respect the traditions and refrain from eating and drinking in public during fasting" between dawn and dusk, she said.

Another woman peacekeeper in the Polish contingent, a 36-year-old, said she thought "wearing the veil was a smart move, because it brought us closer to the residents," but also added that she would not do the same herself. "It would change my look completely, and that's not something I want." Some of the villagers were slightly taken aback by the sight of the fatigues-clad Wyszomirska wearing a veil. "I was surprised to see Sylvia wearing the headscarf, because I know she's not a Muslim," said Zahraa Hijazi, a veiled student from the village of Debbine. "But in any case nuns wear veils even though they are Christian," she added. Debbine mayor Mohammed Sherif Ibrahim agreed that many of his constituents were surprised by Wyszomirska's decision to wear the veil "because it is out of the ordinary". "But it is also a nice gesture that breaks down barriers between UNIFIL and the local people," he said.