The actress has surprised fans by removing her hijab.

More than 12 years after she retired from the film industry to focus on her religion, Hala Shiha has announced her return.

The Egyptian actress, who starred in films like The Ladder and the Snake, and Lost in America, set up an Instagram account last week, sharing a photo of herself with the caption: “Back”.

Back..

A post shared by Hala Shiha (@hala.shiha.official) on

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Fans were surprised to see the star without her headscarf. In 2005, the actress announced her decision to quit acting, stating her wish to get “closer to Islam”, Ahram Online reported. She started wearing the hijab, and shared religious posts on Facebook. In 2017, the actress shared a photo of herself wearing the niqab, or face veil.

However, the 39-year-old now appears to have done away with Islamic headwear altogether. On her newly created Twitter account, she tweeted she was a “strong, independent woman from the beginning”.

While Shiha is yet to confirm her plans, her sister, Hana Shiha, told Al Arabiya English that her sibling intends to return to acting.

Egypt Today is reporting that Shiha has signed a contract to appear in a new project by film producer Mohamed el-Sobky.

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