veiled4allah: debate over niqab in Britain

There's a huge controversy in Britain over remarks that Jack Straw, the former Foreign Secretary, made about niqab (the face veil).

Straw is an MP whose constituency in Blackburn is about 25-30% Muslim. Straw first said that when women constituents who wear the niqab come to seek help from him, he asks them to uncover their faces. Later, he said that he wished Muslim women would not wear face veils at all. He feels that it makes community relations more difficult because it is a symbol of separation, and also he personally finds it difficult to talk to people when he can't see their faces.

I've talked before (such as this lengthly discussion in comments) about wanting to restrict Muslim women from veiling. In my opinion, this is not better than those who want to force Muslim women to veil. In both cases, it takes away a woman's basic autonomy to choose how she wishes to dress. Additionally, in a free society, we accept that others may make choices that we don't understand or even that we find offensive and in return we expect that others will accept our own choices, even if they don't understand them or find them offensive. This is what freedom of expression and freedom of religion are all about.

I'm particularly concerned with this because of Straw's position as an elected representative. What if a woman is too shy or is unwilling or unable to remove her niqab for some reason? Does this mean that he won't help her? If we are concerned about Muslims not participating enough in society, how does excluding them from the political process (such as having the right to bring their concerns to their MP) help this problem? It doesn't, it makes it worse. As an elected representative, Straw should be available to all his constituents, whatever they may dress like, and if he wants to encourage Muslims to become a fuller part of British society, he should be making it easier, not more difficult, for them to come to him.

It's hard not to think that maybe he was doing this to seek publicity for himself. Only Allah SWT knows what is in his heart, but the end result has been to give even more negative publicity to a community that already feels demonized and under siege. Like Straw's policy on the dress of his female constituents, this is likely to have the exact opposite effect of what he intends - it will only make Muslims withdraw further, and make non-Muslims withdraw from Muslims in return, and worsen community relations. Great job, dude.

Here is some good commentary on the issue. First are some columns by non-Muslim journalists and commentators:

Double Jack's Standards, by Mike Marqusee

Jack Straw's veil comments threaten to inflame racism, by Socialist Worker

What Not to Wear, by Vikram Dodd

It's a New and Dangerous Game, by Ian Bell

Here are some comments from British Muslim bloggers:

Open Season on Muslims, by Indigo Jo

Muslims as Political Footballs, by Thabet

The Polite Guide to Demonizing Muslims, by Julaybib

Blaming the Veil is Wrong, by Rajnaara Akhtar

Incitement to Hatred, by Soumaya Ghannoushi

Some people noted the following news story: Veil Snatched from Muslim Woman. Hopefully this is completely unrelated.

P.S. There is a difference of opinion among Muslims about whether the niqab is obligatory or voluntary (I believe the latter). Even those who consider it to be obligatory allow women to remove their niqabs for the purpose of verifying their identity (1, 2). This includes business dealings, giving testimony, and appearing in court. It's not clear whether this would cover professional dealings with an MP and in any case, Straw didn't mention verifying identity. I've also written about legal issues relating to face veils and about understanding the face veil.

Update 10/11: Some other good comments on this issue, from non-Muslim journalists and commentators:

Lifting the veil on Enlightenment-British-European-Western values, by Lenin's Tomb

Veiled Threats, from Caron's Musings

The Jackboots of Our Time, by George Galloway, MP

Jack Straw has unleashed a storm of prejudice and intensified division, by Madeleine Bunting (this one is excellent)

Stop Scapegoating Muslims, by Socialist Worker

Sorry, but we can't just pick and choose what to tolerate, by David Edgar

And from British Muslim bloggers:

My life behind the niqab, by Rahmanara Chowdhury

Woolas: Appease the far right, by Indigo Jo

You wanted debate, Jack? You've sure got on, by Abu Eesa

The politics of choice, by Soumaya Ghannoushi

I'm tired of being a political football, by Sunny Hundal

Update 10/18: In the last few days, the debate has moved on from Straw's original remarks to the case of Aishah Azmi, a niqab-wearing teaching assistant. Azmi was suspended from her job because the school said that she refused to take off her niqab in front of the students. Azmi said that she had no problem with taking off her niqab in front of children (and indeed, veiling has never been required around children) but that she kept it on when male teachers were around. A number of politicians, including recently prime minister Tony Blair himself have spoken on the issue, supporting her suspension (in my opinion, they should have stayed out of it and let the employment tribunal decide the case).

Here is some recent non-Muslim commentary about niqab, including the Azmi case, and also about Islamophobia in Britain:

If someone freely chooses to wear a niqab, what skin is it off your nose? by Timothy Garton Ash

What Not to Wear, by Andrew Rilstone

Religious practises are part of peoples' identities, by Yael Simon

I'm Catholic. I'm also sane. But these days people find it hard to accept that religion and rationality can co-exist, by Martin Newland

Speak freely but carefully, by the Editors of the Guardian

They've lost the plot, by Dave Hill

Dismay over debate which creates divisions, by Michael White

If this onslaught was about Jews, I would be looking for my passport, by Jonathan Freedland

Veiling discussions by white people who don't know what they're talking about suck, by R. Mildred

Some recent Muslim commentary:

Garton Ash, Bennett, and Berkoff on niqab, by Indigo Jo

So much for the sisterhood, by Salma Yaqoob

The veil and the limits of English tolerance, by Yahya Birt

A battle of insults, by Anas al-Tikriti

Incitement to violence, by Daud Abdullah