The Civitas blog has taken a stance against the niqab. As they point out, the question of individual choice is only part of the equation.
This is not, after all, simply a matter of fashion, nor it is not intended as such by its wearers or their theological leaders. Rather, it is a garment that is worn to make statements both about the wearer and about those who do not wear it, and as such those messages become the legitimate subject of comment and discussion.
Similar issues occur in non-religious forms as well, as I have noted before.