What do you think we should do about the veil?

Question

Seeing as some European countries and some muslim countries(Egypt,Tunisia) have already banned it in public places,what should we do.

Answer 1

Sum it up in one - when a western lady visits most muslim countries, they have to adapt to their culture and ways - by covering up legs and hair etc. Here it is considered rude to cover face or head when indoors, especially when speaking to other people - perhaps some of our culture and ettiquette should be appreciated by the Muslims and realise that this is Brittain and the culture and religion of this country is different.

As the phrase goes "Whilst in Rome, do as the Romans!"

Sometimes I think some of this is just stirring up trouble where there is none, Jack Straw would not have had the same backlash if he had commented about any other culture or religion within the UK!

Answer 2

I thought we took pride in ourselves in this country on having freedom of speech. We are not doing ourselves or race relations any good by making this an issue in the first place. This is a tradition that goes back many generations and because we don't understand it or because it makes us feel nervous we want it banned. We may not agree with it on a personal level but it doesn't give us the right to ban anything. Where will it stop? Turbans? Saris? Yarmulkes? Those orange things that hare krishnas wear? Hoodies?...

Answer 3

I think a bit of mutual respect is needed. We are always careful in today's society to not offend or insult minorities and respect and their cultures be it relegion, sexuality etc. This of course is right. But why does this not work in reverse? If the veil upsets and offends others then clearly this is a reason to look at banning the item or at least a call to the respected minority group to offer respect and harmony back to the country in which it lives by removing it in certain situations - particularly in today's threatening and uneasy climate.

Answer 4

Egypt and Tunisia didn't ban it in public places ...

Answer 5

Ban it completely. The headscarf is OK if they want it, but the face MUST be visible to CCTV. Also, who's under the burka? Some of them I've seen in the UK are big enough to hide a Sherman tank underneath. A man with a machine gun or a bomb is perfectly within the bounds of reason.

Don't provide opportunities.

Answer 6

It's about the free choice of the wearer and proportionality. If a woman chooses to wear it going about her daily business then that's up to her but if she is in a situation where she is speaking face to face with anyone, like that teaching assistant, she should have the respect for that person to remove the veil if asked to do so. Ninety percent of face to face communication is non-verbal and it is very difficult to gauge someone's meaning when all you can see is their eyes.

I may be being disrespectful here, and please forgive me if I am, but I cannot understand why some women who choose to wear the veil then choose to customise it in some way by adding jewellery, hair clips or extra material. Why do they also wear high heeled shoes and tight jeans underneath and why do they wear makeup and nail polish? I thought that the purpose of the veil is to allow only your husband and close male relatives to see you. I can see that that is so when a woman wears the normal plain coloured veil with no adornments and normal clothes underneath but I saw a lady on the news the other day with a fashionable co-ordinating veil with tons of make up on her eyes, her nails painted bright red and gold jewellery a go-go. Why cover yourself up on the one hand to prevent unwanted attention and yet go to such lengths to attract attention to yourself with the other? This I don't understand.

Answer 7

Compromise
A veil does not need to cover the entire face and there is no reason why it cannot be transparent to some extent .

It allows users to practise their beliefs without causing offence and removes the need for anyone to offend their beliefs .

Answer 8

Frankie, If we do this we are ultimately taking away peoples religious freedoms. Banning gives governments more power to restrict peoples lives. Thin end of the wedge I think.

Answer 9

I think they should wear it if they want.. ironically..the bible mentions the veil as well... not to mention that no movie or pictures of the biblical times show women without something covering their hair with relatively long clothing.. Why is it that we choose to modernize something that was obviously necessary back then. If we should believe the BIble, its all or nothing..you cant pick and choose what you think is literal and what you think is just figurative.Furthermore,nuns wear the same head coverings only in black.. and no one looks down on them but rather thinks of them as modest. Ironic.

1 Corinthians 11:5-10: "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels."

1 Corinthians 11:13: "Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God (with her head) uncovered?"

Answer 10

Here we go again. Can we not find something else to bash about. Muslim and Islam bashing is rather boring now. Unless the establishment is paying people to keep this issue alive. It's very uncharacteristic of the British to keep on bashing the same thing for long.