Category Archives: Women

Livingstone decries vilification of Islam

Posted on by Bob Pitt

MayorMuslims are being singled out for demonisation on a par with the victimisation of Jews during the last century, the mayor of London claimed today.

Unveiling new research indicating that 75% of those polled in the capital support the right of Muslims, and those of other faiths, to dress “in accordance with their religious beliefs”, Ken Livingstone criticised the “barrage” of attacks as an assault on freedom of religious and cultural expression.

His comments coincide with the launch tonight of a high-powered coalition, involving MPs, Muslim groups, trade unions and the campaign group Liberty, to confront Islamophobia. The new coalition is supported by figures from the three major parties, Sikhs, black-led organisations and human rights groups.

Many leading figures are concerned about issues such as Jack Straw’s observations on Muslim women who wear the veil and criticisms from ministers who say Islamic communities should do more to root out extremists.

Mr Livingstone said: “Over recent weeks we have seen a demonisation of Muslims only comparable to the demonisation of Jews from the end of the 19th century. As at that time, the attack on Muslims in reality threatens freedoms for all of us, which took hundreds of years to win – freedom of conscience and freedom of cultural expression. Every person who values their right to follow the religion of their choice or none should stand with the Muslim communities today.”

He linked the criticism of Muslims with the adverse scrutiny accorded to government policy overseas. “I cannot believe it is a coincidence that this entire artificial pseudo-debate has been stirred up at a time when the credibility of the entire war and occupation of Iraq is collapsing before our eyes. Muslims and all of us have a right to call for a different policy within the democratic process.”

Guardian, 20 November 2006

See also “Rally calls for religious freedom”, BBC News, 20 November 2006

Surge in anti-Muslim racism in London schools

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Racist incidents in London schools have increased by 26 per cent in just one year. Attacks on Muslim children have increased since the 7/7 bombings and the debate about the wearing of the veil has prompted further incidents. The figures include verbal and written insults, physical attacks and spreading racist material over the internet.

Professor Heidi Mirza, an expert in equality studies at the Institute of Education, University of London, said: “Islamophobia is a huge problem since the July bombings with Muslim children becoming the focus of abuse and Jack Straw’s comments about women wearing a veil, which is just guarded racism, has led to Muslim girls being taunted in the playground.”

Evening Standard, 20 November 2006

Beyond The Veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Who would have thought such a fracas could erupt over a bit of cloth, no bigger than 20 square centimeters, that a tiny number of Western Muslim women use to cover their faces? To be sure, this wasn’t the first time that Muslim women’s dress had caused a crisis, and it won’t be the last. But why does the veil strike such a chord, fueling suspicions that Muslims are an indigestible minority, at odds with the European way of life, and a security threat as well?”

Fareena Alam writes in Newsweek, 27 November 2006

Ex-archbishop Carey speaks out against the veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Welsh-based former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord George Carey says Muslim women, particularly teachers, should not be permitted to wear the veil in the workplace. The 70-year-old former head of the Church of England who now has a home in Llanrhidian, Gower, was speaking ahead of a lecture he will give at Swansea University next week.

“The face is an important medium of communication,” he said. “We all need to see a full face, to see the smile and hear the voice clearly. Obviously, wearing of the veil is not central to Islam otherwise every Muslim woman would be compelled to adopt that kind of dress.”

Wales Online, 20 November 2006

Dutch government to ban veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Rita VerdonkThe Dutch government said Friday it plans to draw up legislation “as soon as possible” banning full-length veils known as burqas and other clothing that covers a person’s entire face in public places.

“The Cabinet finds it undesirable that face-covering clothing – including the burqa – is worn in public places for reasons of public order, security and protection of citizens,” Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk said in a statement.

Basing the order on security concerns apparently was intended to respond to warnings that outlawing clothing like the all-enveloping burqa, worn by some Muslim women, could violate the constitutional guarantee against religious discrimination.

The main Dutch Muslim organization CMO has been critical of any possible ban. The idea was “an overreaction to a very marginal problem” because hardly any Dutch women wear burqas anyway, said Ayhan Tonca of the CMO. “It’s just ridiculous.”

In the past, a majority of the Dutch parliament has said it would approve a ban on burqas, but opinion polls ahead of national elections Nov. 22 suggest a shift away from that position, and it is unclear if a majority in the new parliament would still back the government-proposed ban.

Associated Press, 17 November 2006

See also “Dutch government backs burqa ban”, BBC News, 17 November 2006

The ban would of course mainly affect the niqab rather than the rarely-worn burqa. But why should Verdonk (or the BBC) bother about the technicalities of Muslims’ funny foreign clothing?

Charles Clarke joins Muslim veil row

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jack Straw 3Commons leader Jack Straw has been the subject of a hard-hitting attack by former home secretary Charles Clarke for starting the national debate on the wearing of the full veil by Muslim women.

Mr Clarke accused his ex-cabinet colleague last night of “grandstanding” and of launching a discussion that had had an almost completely negative effect.

Speaking at the Royal Commonwealth Society in London, the Norwich MP pointedly complained that what he dubbed the “Great British Veil Controversy” had been “started by Jack Straw in his local Blackburn paper”.

It “has been almost entirely negative in its impact and has done nothing to promote tolerance and understanding in our society”, he continued. “Building respect in our society means more common sense and less grandstanding from everyone.”

Norwich Evening News, 16 November 2006

Vatican enters Muslim veil debate

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A senior Vatican cardinal has expressed concern over the use of some Muslim veils by Islamic immigrants in Europe. This is the first time that the Vatican has joined in the Europe-wide debate on how women who insist on wearing the veil affect the integration of Muslims.

Cardinal Renato Martino said immigrants must respect the traditions, culture and religion of the nations they go to. They ought to abide by local laws banning the wearing of certain types of Muslim veils, he added. “It seems elementary to me and it is quite right that the authorities demand it,” said Cardinal Martino, who heads the Vatican department dealing with migration issues.

BBC News, 14 November 2006

Antwerp: schools forbid Muslim veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Only two secondary schools in the municipal educational system of Antwerp allow their students to come to school with a Muslim veil. Most refuse entrance to girls who come with a veil. More and more schools elsewhere in Flanders are also adding a ban on the Muslim veil to their regulations.

Various Flemish immigrant organization think that the government should intervene. They point out that banning the Muslim veil reduces the chances of getting a good education. “Immigrant girls can’t choose freely anymore to which school they go and which subjects they will study there. That undermines their chances on the job market,” says Nadia Babazia from the Support Point for Immigrant Girls and Women that researched the wearing of the Muslim veil in Flemish schools.

Islam in Europe, 13 November 2006

Muslim women shouldn’t wear veils in public, says Archbishop

Posted on by Bob Pitt

One of the Church of England’s most senior figures today risks a row with the Muslim community by suggesting that Islamic women should not wear veils in public.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Mail, Dr John Sentamu warns that “no minority” should impose its beliefs on the rest of society and that the veil causes Muslim women to “stick out”.

The Archbishop of York – who ranks second in the Church’s hierarchy – also says the BBC is biased against Christians because Anglicans don’t threaten to “bomb” the corporation.

Daily Mail, 13 November 2006

See also “Archbishop questions role of veil”, Evening Standard, 13 November 2006

Netherlands moves toward total ban on Muslim veils

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Netherlands may become the first European country to ban Muslim face veils after its government pledged yesterday to outlaw the wearing in public spaces of the niqab, or veil, and the burka, or full-length cloak covering the head.

The right-leaning coalition said last night that it would look for a way to outlaw the wearing of all Muslim face veils. The grounds for a ban were laid last December when parliament voted in favour of a proposal to criminalise face coverings, as part of a security measure proposed by a far-right politician, Geert Wilders.

Rita Verdonk, the immigration minister, signalled that the government would now push for a total ban, even though the legislation would be likely to contravene Dutch religious freedom laws.

“The cabinet finds the wearing of a burka undesirable … but cannot at present enforce a total ban,” the Dutch news agency ANP quoted her as saying after a cabinet meeting.

Ms Verdonk suggested that existing legislation which limits the wearing of burkas and other full-body coverings on public transport and in schools did not go far enough, and that the cabinet would discuss as wide a ban as possible in the coming week.

“The government will search for the possibility to provide a ban,” her spokeswoman told the Reuters news agency.

Guardian, 11 November 2006