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| Britain's Straw throws up many a straw | | |
B L KAK
Britain's former Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, has allowed himself to get engulfed in a race row after revealing that he asks Muslim women to remove their veil during meetings. Straw has also revealed that his anti-veil sentiment is not without a basis. He has let it be known that he feels "uncomfortable" at his constituency surgery talking to someone whose face he cannot see.
Whether its hoodies for young men or veils for women the British Labour Party seems determined to face up to the enormous challenge of clothing in multi-cultural Britain. Jack Straw, now Leader of the House of Commons, is the latest politician to take it upon himself to suggest a proper code of dress for people. Straw provoked anger and indignation among broad sections of the Muslim community after he encouraged Muslim women to stop wearing veils covering their face, saying the practice hindered community relations.
This is not about the veil. It is about Labour trying to display its "tough" image on that mythical country called "Middle England" which is vital to Labour's hopes, party strategists believe, of retaining power under a new leader. There have been a series of announcements by leading Labour politicians over the past few weeks that have set a shrill tone in community relations. At the launch of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, Ruth Kelly, the communities secretary, questioned whether multi-culturalism was now encouraging segregation. At the Labour conference last week John Reid insisted Britain would not be bullied by Muslim fanatics, and he would not tolerate "no-go" neighbourhoods.
Maybe Straw was raising what he thought was a legitimate concern. But when it is considered against the backdrop of what has been happening recently it does seem suspicious. If all that stood in the way of improved community relations in Britain was a thin facial garment then community relations must be in very good health. Muslims in Britain have felt a growing isolation since 9/11 and the London bombings. Straw's comments will not have made that sense of isolation any less. Telling people what to wear is not addressing the issue, it is skirting it.
Former British Foreign Secretary has angered some Muslim groups by saying he asks Muslim women visiting his office to remove their veils. Writing in a column for the Lancashire Telegraph newspaper, Straw said that he feels uncomfortable talking with someone whose face he cannot see, describing the veil as a "visible statement of separation and difference." "I explain that this is a country built on freedoms. I defend absolutely the right of any women to wear a headscarf", he wrote.
He added: "The value of a meeting, as opposed to a letter or phone call, is so that you can, almost literally, see what the other person means, and not just hear what they say". Straw went on to say he worries that what he described as an increasing number of British Muslim women wearing the veil would hinder ties with non-Muslims. Scarves that cover the face are "bound to make better, positive relations between the two communities more difficult", he wrote. Straw said that he ensures a female member of his staff is present during his meetings, adding that none of his constituents had refused to remove her veil, and thought most seemed relieved to do so.
A leader of the Islamic Human Rights Commission said Straw's position "put barriers" in the way of Muslim women at a time when they are encouraged to participate more in British society. Chairman Massoud Shadjareh said: "We're really astonished that someone so senior and responsible as Mr. Straw would make such a statement. I'm sure many people go (to his office) with many different types of clothing and fashions. Why does he suddenly have a problem with this? It's outrageous".
On the other hand, local experts in Dubai have opined: Most Islamic scholars say the wearing of the veil is not required, but that woman can cover their faces if they choose to. Dubai-based sociology researcher, Dr Rima Al Sabban, has just been reported to have said that her interpretation of the Quran was that to be a good Muslim, a woman was compelled only to cover her hair. She was quoted as saying: "It was only stated that the wives of the Prophet Mohammad had to cover their faces, but some women like to adopt that as well. The women want to do it but they don't have to. I respect the choice of women whether they should be veiled or not veiled."
Dr Rima said that 20 to 30 per cent of UAE (United Arab Emirates) national women cover their faces, in addition to wearing the black abaya and a shayla headscarf. Traditionally, the gold-coloured burkha mask, which covers the cheekbones, nose and brow, was the favoured form of face covering, but Dr Rima said that the black veil was becoming more popular.
She said: "Often you will find the grandmother and the mother wear the burkha, but the daughter wears the veil." She added that in some other GCC countries a higher percentage of women covered their faces, estimating that in Saudi Arabia 80 per cent of women did so.
Dr Mohammad Abdullah Al Rokn, professor of law at the UAE University in Al Ain, is quoted as sayings: "The majority of scholars are of the opinion that covering the face is not a must, unless the woman feels by herself she would like to cover her face."
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