Veiled

The debate surrounding the wearing of veils by Muslim women continues to rage in the UK. Sparked off by senior Labour politician Jack Straw, there is now a ferocious discussion going on whether women in public life, such as teachers, should wear a veil.

Personally, I respect religious creeds and convictions, and support those that wish to abide by its rules. The unfortunate aspect of the veil-debate is that there are differing interpretations of the rule within the Islamic community.

The group that requires a woman's face to be totally covered is actually a minority within the Muslim world. The thinking behind this is that a woman's physique should only be seen by her husband. Showing any part of her exterior to another man is a breach of faithfulness, and tantamount to being a prostitute. I don't think I'm overstating here.

The majority of women in the Muslim world are happy to interpret this stricture as requiring their hair to be covered. I have even seen western female reporters appearing on the TV from places like Iran, wearing a head scarf on camera.

Mr Straw has blundered into this rather sensitive debate like an elephant in a china cupboard, and it already had some nasty consequences. One lady had her veil ripped off in the street, causing her extreme distress, for the reasons outlined above.

Nonetheless, I saw a lady teacher on TV the other day, her head and face fully covered by a black garment, explaining why she was upset at the prospect of not wearing it in class. Personally, I have to agree with Jack Straw that it is disconcerting and difficult to properly communicate with a person that chooses not to show their face.

The relationship with the Muslim community was already strained in the aftermath of the attacks in New York and London in 2001 and 2005 respectively, although I have always held the view that those responsible only abused religion as a pretext for carnage. Methinks heads need to cool on both sides of the debate, and rather than making sweeping statements and unreasonable demands, community leaders need to sit down and quietly and calmly debate the issues at stake here.

Over in France, tensions with the immigrant community were reported to be at breaking point again. Riots there in 2005 lasted for several days and weeks. There is a distinct possibility that the same could happen in the UK, as was already highlighted during the weekend. There is still a window of opportunity to avert this - but not for long.

Tag: veil muslim islam women