ism and Islam problem?

If you want to show you're respectful of her culture you'll have to tell the truth. Caboose is right, too: It's more a cultural thing than religious. The idea of wearing the hijab comes from the Hadith, which is based on observations of Muhammed rather than the commandments that Allah relayed through him. Muhammed broke a fair few of those rules himself, but qualified it with "I am but a flawed man - follow God's word, not my actions". Koran-only Muslims don't usually wear those kinds of coverings.