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Britain’s
Cabinet Minister Jack Straw took a risk with his political
future (his riding is predominantly Muslim) by his suggestion
that Muslim women should consider removing the veil from their
face.
Instead
of a knee jerk reaction, Muslims should accept Mr. Straw’s
comments at face value, take our heads out of the sand and pull
the veils off our minds. His intention was to invoke a debate,
not start fireworks!
This
dialogue is long overdue and it comes at a critical time for
Muslims in the West. Unfortunately some ignorant and bigoted
people have misused this situation to vent their angst at
Muslims (e.g. the person who pulled the veil off a woman’s
face in England) and others will use it as a political tool and
this has to be addressed.
For
better understanding of the issues at stake, let me start
the
discussion.
Contrary
to some peoples view, covering the face is not a religious
requirement for Muslim women. The injunction in the Quran is for
modesty (for both men and women). Some Muslim women interpret
this as covering their head with a scarf or chador which is
universally accepted.
My
understanding of this stems from the fact that Islam is a
religion of balance and reason. Our face is our identity and
common sense requires for it to be uncovered. Furthermore,
Muslim women are not supposed to cover their face when they go
for Haj (pilgrimage) or when they perform the obligatory prayer.
Of
the 1.2 billion Muslims in the world spread over the globe from
Malaysia to Mozambique, approximately half are women who are
extremely diverse in their mode of dress. A very small
percentage chooses to cover their face. In parts of the Middle
East and the subcontinent, a face covering or niqab, is
prevalent as a cultural or tribal norm. Some women have exported
this practice to the
Western world.
If
this is cultural, then there is dire need for discussion about
adapting to new cultures. Cultures evolve and change with time
and place. When non Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia for example,
they’re not allowed to expose skin by wearing shorts or
skirts. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the
Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) will arrest them. Many
Westerners work and reside in Saudi, so they adapt to the new
culture to make life easier for themselves.
Similarly
when we come to West by choice, we adapt to many changing
factors without compromising our religious beliefs. In Canada
the Charter gives us religious freedom to practice our faith in
any way we choose. However, we need to let go of excess cultural
baggage.
Mr.
Straw suggested that a covered face makes communication
difficult. He’s right. I just saw a video interview of a woman
in England on this issue, and her voice was muffled
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