To Veil or Not?
This weeks question is pretty topical, and it stems from what was said in the last thread. What I would like to know is what you all think regarding the wearing of the Hijab, or the veil that muslim women wear. Should these women be banned from wearing said Hijab, in non-muslim countries?
There is a lot of debate on the subject, but increasingly in today's environment the Hajib has become a source of shall we say secrecy, replacing that concept years ago of mystery. So lets continue and have a look at some of the points.
Probably the biggest and most controversial 'problem' to come to light now is of muslim women wearing the hijab in non-muslim countries. But why now? Why has it become a problem now? Why not 10 years ago? I think the answer to that is that since 9/11 the world has changed immensely, and are xenophobia of all things Muslim has increased 100 fold. Every little thing that happens these days when related to terrorism is blamed on Muslims, so isn't it any wonder suspitions are aroused when we see Muslim women with their veils covering their faces? This not only gives rise to suspition from non-Muslims, but must also instill fear into the very wearer's of the Hijab.
The thing is when translated the Koran does not actually say that women need to cover up their faces with a veil, so why do so many Muslim women 'cover up'? Is it to do with culture? Is it to do with wanting to be different? Or is it to do with identity? It's a difficult one to answer, but to me as an objective observer I tend to think if they don't have to wear it, why bother?
Afghanistan under the Taliban
As I mentioned before the rise in terrorist activities and the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, has given to a huge increase in the negative attitude towards Muslims. The fact that women wear the Hijab adds to this negativity and suspition, I would suspect that more and more Muslim women are the brunt of taunts, and even attacks due to the very fact they wear it. It identifies them as Muslim, it identifies them as a (in some peoples view) justifiable target. So I ask again why wear it? It's looking more and more like individual or family choice isn't it. When the Taliban left Afghanistan, the amount of women who disposed of their Burkahs was huge, the were oppressed and it was not nice to see.
Jack Straw asked for all Muslim women to remove their veils when they came to his surgery, and it caused uproar. But, surely if a Muslim woman went into his surgery without a veil she would no longer be the subject of stares from other patients, would be able to have a better examination, and generally would feel more comfortable in herself. The idea of the veil was supposed to be to prevent stares from unwanted admirers, yet for me I think it increases the stares from people, and it generally makes people more fearful.
I am also amazed at the story of a teaching assistant who refused to remove her veil whilst teaching. The thing is how can she be fully understood when her voice is muffled by the veil, and the kids she teaches are feeling pretty uncomfortable with this women in (how young kids see it) a disguise? She has since relented and agreed to wear it only if a man is in the classroom. But that brings me on to my next point.
Ever since a young age we have been led to believe that anyone that covers their face is probably a villain, a bank robber, a mugger or the like who wants to disguise their identity. Does this attitude change or is it any different when we look at a woman in a veil? Of course not.
So there you have it, I could go on but my time is limited, and so is space. I have read that in Bavaria they have banned he wearing of the veil, which was to be honest a surprise. In my opinion not only would a ban protect the Muslim women from taunts and the stigma of been branded a terrorist, but it would prevent the accusations, taunts and stares from Non-Muslims, as they cannot actually identify the women from the wearing of the veil. So it begs the question, if the women are going to be in effect safer should a ban come in, why such strong objections?
Last weeks poll result was : Solar Panels 28.6%, All renewables 71.4%, so it looks like we had better get those solar panels and wind turbines installed!
6 comments:
I'm liking the name of the link to my photo blog. You rock Dave!!!
As to the question you pose to us to veil or not to veil. As an American, I'm a huge supporter of individual rights. If it's not hurting someone physically, then why is it a controversy in the first place. I feel very sad for the women of islamic nations who are surpressed while most of the worlds women enjoy equality to man. I've never understood why they veil themselves in the first place, but then they probably don't understand why other women of other countries don't veil themselves. It's all in your up bringing and your believes.
I don't believe that they veil themselves to stand out. I also don't think that there should be a ban on veils. Are the veiled women the ones doing the bombing? Not that I know of. If it's what they believe in, they should be able to do it, as long as it dosen't hurt another person. 50 years from now, they will have thrown their veils away and it'll be a history lesson about surpression.
I know that this may be a little off beat as comparison, but I want to compare the way American's think and Europeans think in order to show that it's totally a curtural thing. Going on the opposite side of the spectrum here. Topless nudity, especially on the beach and in advertisement is very natural in the Europe, while very uncommon in the states. I was on a bus with about 50 American third graders driving down an Italian street when we drove by a billboard with a bare chested woman. The kids all went kind of crazy with comments and laughing and wonder. A bus load of Italian kids would have never said a thing about that billboard. It only goes to show, what is normal to you is how you are raised. I didn't like the billboard because I was raised thinking that it's wrong to bare yourselve for the world to see like that. As for the kids, they all tend to think what their parents think and will probably have that believe for the rest of their lives. It's the same thinking with being veiled. They only know it because that's how they've been raised. I don't think they should have to take off their veils.
It could also be a lot to do with pressure from families. I spent two and a half years in Kuwait, and 15 months in Saudi Arabia. Everytime I flew back to the UK, the women on board would start off with the full yabiya, and veil, but once the seat belt sign went off, they would go to the tiolets and change into western clothes. Only a very few kept themselves covered, and these were the ones with noticeably stricter partners. You are right though, the veil is really there to oppress the Muslim women, and that is why a lot of them come to Europe to try to escape from that.
I had to laugh at the tale of the kids and the billboard, if it was kids from the UK, they too would have joked and pointed, we are less inhibited by those sort of things in the UK than the US, but we have more inhabitions than the French, Spanish or Italians.
As you say everyone is different, but I only agree with a ban on the veil as overall it would be more of a benefit to Muslim women than hinderance or objectionable law.
definetely I don't agree with the fact a woman should cover her face!
It's ok to cover the head, but I disagree with the total covering.
I think I am a tolerant person and I try to respect various religions, but I think a veiled woman with her face covered is too close to the idea we have of a terrorist or of someone that masks gimself/herself in order to do something that is forbidden.
So my answer is: no veil.
I like the picture in your avatar, Dave :)))
Thank Lady!
It's taking in India, 3 weeks ago, when I was actually doing some work ;)
ehehe... ehy, thanks for the mp3 in your blog, I found some songs I really love!
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