veiled references

[winterbadger]

I caught the beginning of the Diane Rehm Show this morning, but didn't hear the bulk of it. Her first segement was on the wearing by Muslim women of the full-face veil (the niqab, cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niqab) in Western countries and Western reaction to it, particularly in light of controversies arising in the UK and US over non-Mulsims' perceptions and reactions to it.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about the issues involved; I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts. Do you feel the suggestion by MP Jack Straw that constituents visiting his office remove their niqab to be reasonable or unreasonable? Do you think that the PM was wrong to say that the veil is a sign of separation? Do you believe that niqabis ought not to be required to bare their face to teach, or to identify themselves to police?

I'll use my Pakistan icon, as it's the only Islamic one I have.

Comments

[pusscat.livejournal.com]

I have very mixed feelings about it. From my childcare background, I can see how it's harder to feel you "connect" with someone you can't see. But then again, children don't have the same preconceptions as adults and I suspect they would adapt to the niqab better than most adults would. I find them a little disconcering myself, but I see that as my problem. And most importantly, I feel like, for women who are used to wearing the veil, asking them to remove it is the equivalent of asking me to remove my top so you can have a more meaningful conversation with me - a huge invasion of privacy and not at all appropriate.