Veils
Because it is one of the stories of the day, the Moai and I have been having a bit of a debate about the decision to let schools ban veils. And in spite of agreeing with a lot of the arguments for banning veils in schools I cannot agree with the decision.
I completely agree that veils can represent a more fundamentalist side to Islam. I agree that they make security and identification very difficult (see here for a topical example). I agree that they also make communication and integration very difficult. And I know that some of our leading educational organisations have already taken action to ban the niqab and the burka. But I still do not think they should be banned.
It is different to asking a motorcyclist to remove his helmet when they come into a building for identification purposes. And it is different to asking someone not to a cross. Because Muslim women wear the niqab and the burka for religious reasons. Because of their faith, they do not feel they have a choice.
And this is fundamentally about freedom of expression rather than more pragmatic and practical considerations. I think those who wear the niqab or the burka should know that it does make communication and integration more difficult. They should also be aware that in our traditionally Anglo-Saxon, Christian culture there will be prejudice and stigma attached to wearing a veil. But you know what? If you make them aware of the above and the strength of their religious convictions is still strong enough to make them want to wear a veil then they should be allowed to do so.
The simple fact is that we do live in a multi-cultural society where there are disparate religions and other beliefs that may appear alien to the traditional British values (whatever they maybe) but unless you are willing to embrace the barmy far right, neo-Nazi politics of the BNP then multi-culturalism is here to stay. So rather than banning people for adhering to the rules of their religions, let’s try to find ways around the problems and issues that may arise.
posted by The Nameless Libertarian @ 1:44 pm
5 Comments
5 Comments:
I agree 100%, but it's no fun being reasonable and moderate.
How often must you be told that your statement that "Muslim women wear the niqab and the burka for religious reasons" is simply untrue. There is nothing in the Koran or the Hadiths imposing this "obligation". The only obligation imposed by Islam in this context is "modesty". The vast majority of Moslem women the world over do not cover their faces. Such behaviour in this country is a political not a religious act. Moreover, it is entirely congruent with wearing a hoodie or balaclava in order to intimidate rather than simply keep warm.
Umbongo
How often must you be told that your statement "Muslim women wear the niqab and the burka for religious reasons" is simply untrue
Well, I would rank this as the first time I have been *told* that Muslim woman do not wear those particular veils for religious reasons. I would also point out that I do not claim anywhere that all Muslim women cover their faces. But the Koran, like all religious texts, is open to a myriad of interpretations and it is my understanding - based on both research and conversations with Muslim friends - that some interpret the need for modesty to involve women covering their faces.
I dare say that some wear the niqab or the burka for political rather than religious reasons but I do not think this applies to all women who wear those veils in this country. Some women will do it because they feel their faith requires them to and my point is we should aspire to be tolerant of them, not demand they conform to Western perceptions of what makes up appropriate dress.
And given some do wear the niqab and the burka for religious reasons I do not see it as "entirely congruent with wearing a hoodie or balaclava". People wear the latter for fashion or practical reasons - not because of their faith.
TNO
Read what I said: there is literally nothing in the Koran or any other of Islam's sacred texts instructing women to wear veils. There might be a custom which some Muslim women follow (and, I suspect, "encouraged" by their male relatives) of wearing a veil. This is not a common practice and formerly was generally taken to be confined to the Arabian Peninsular. Certainly the custom of the countries from which British Muslims derive is not to wear the veil.
So why would they adopt veil wearing in the UK? I'll give you 2 reasons; 1. they are "persuaded" by their male kinsfolk to do so 2. they wear them to emphasise their separation from non-Muslims. In the same way that (many) wearers of hoodies and balaclavas do not wear them to keep warm but as an aggressive fashion statement, veils are worn, not to be "modest", but (when not worn out of fear of male relatives) as an aggressive fashion statement towards non-Moslems. To repeat, in the UK veil-wearing is not a religious act, it's a political one.
Umbongo
I have not read the Koran (in detail), and cannot therefore refute your assertion that there is nothing contained in that document to require women to wear a niqab or a burka. But then again that is not my point. It is down to the individual interpretation of any religious text that creates someone's beliefs and behaviours. Note the flawed interpretations of the Bible by some Christian fundamentalists, who see the Bible's explicit commandment of "Thou Shalt Not Kill" as "Thou Shalt Blow Up The Abortion Clinic" and "Thou Shalt Shoot The Abortionist In The Head". Their interpretation is utterly wrong in my opinion - as are their actions - but they are based on an interpretation of the Bible. The problem lies in their violence, not in the misinterpretation of the Bible. So, in all honesty, does misinterpreting the need for modesty in the Koran and wearing a burka or niqab truly affect anyone else other than the individual? I’d argue not. The misinterpretation of the individuals concerned is part of what they perceive to be their faith and if it isn't really hurting anyone else, who cares?
I am not saying that wearing a full veil is a healthy idea, and, as I say in my original post, I agree with a lot of the arguments against them. But I am a liberal, and I do believe people - if they are well informed about the consequences of their actions and if their actions don't harm anyone else - should be allowed to get on with it. Yes, wearing a burka or a niqab does not help with communication or integration. But if someone is not willing to integrate fully into British society because of their religious beliefs, and if they understand the implications of the failure to integrate, then let them get on with it. Britain is big enough and ugly enough to get over it and move on.
I am sure that some women do wear the niqab/burka owing to pressure from their other halves or their family, just as I am sure that some wear it because of their political - rather than religious - beliefs. But your apparent assumption that everyone wearing the burka or niqab in the UK is doing it for non faith based reasons is where your argument loses credibility for me. Whilst it may not be a good or healthy thing, and whilst it may not be based on a proper reading of religious doctrine or historical precedent, I still maintain some women will be doing it based on belief.
And as an apparently multi-cultural liberal democracy, we should be able to accommodate their religious views, no matter how counter-productive and pointless those views appear to be to our Western ideas.
TNO
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home