To be fairer, Straw was not complaining about hijab or any of the veils that cover the head only. He was talking about the niqab and burkah. Apparently, one of the reasons it's a problem for him is that he's rather deaf and lip reads. Women in niqab are hard to lip-read. Interestingly, and I can't remember of it was on the real news (in which case, the Today Programme) or the News Quiz, there was a discussion on the use of burkahs and other almost total veils as ways of criminals to hide. I can see that that could be a problem.
I have mixed feelings about veiling. Because I know that veiling is not a particularly Muslim requirement, but rather a cultural one that has been inculcated into Islam*, I can see situations where a veiled woman might be required to remove all or part of the veil. But if that is to happen, I think it should be done as sensitively as possible, in ways to minimize the woman's sense of her privacy being infringed upon.
OTOH, Since I know that most cultures that practice veiling historically range from the merely patriarchal to the blatantly misogynistic, I can't understand why women living in Western countries should continue to wear the veil. I should also mention that Islam has strictures for men's modesty, as well -- it's just that regular men's clothing, provided the collars are high, and sleeves and legs long, meets those guidelines.
*Veiling goes back to the ancient Near East And Mediterranean. Almost every culture from Mesopotamia to Imperial Rome had some kind of veiling practice. Orthodox Jewish women still veil -- in the sense that they cover their hair (sometimes with a wig, so it's not noticeable), and I know plenty of women who still cover their heads when going to church.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 10:45 pm (UTC)I have mixed feelings about veiling. Because I know that veiling is not a particularly Muslim requirement, but rather a cultural one that has been inculcated into Islam*, I can see situations where a veiled woman might be required to remove all or part of the veil. But if that is to happen, I think it should be done as sensitively as possible, in ways to minimize the woman's sense of her privacy being infringed upon.
OTOH, Since I know that most cultures that practice veiling historically range from the merely patriarchal to the blatantly misogynistic, I can't understand why women living in Western countries should continue to wear the veil. I should also mention that Islam has strictures for men's modesty, as well -- it's just that regular men's clothing, provided the collars are high, and sleeves and legs long, meets those guidelines.
*Veiling goes back to the ancient Near East And Mediterranean. Almost every culture from Mesopotamia to Imperial Rome had some kind of veiling practice. Orthodox Jewish women still veil -- in the sense that they cover their hair (sometimes with a wig, so it's not noticeable), and I know plenty of women who still cover their heads when going to church.