Should We Ban The Burka?
Should we follow France and impose a ban or take the advice of Damian Green and not ban it, as that would be un-British?
To be fair, I do oscillate from one view to another. A lot depends on my personal expereience at the time.
I remember once I was walking through Mile End in East London and I was horrified to see a woman walking meekly fully vieled and very heavily loaded a couple of metres behind her husband, who was carrying nothing and was totally oblivious to his wife’s plight. Are some men like him, the Islamic equivalent of your stereotype white male loser? They don’t want a wife, but they do need a full time servant at all of their beck and call.
On the other hand, also in East London, I was in need of help in Staples. I was assisted by the manager, who was about twenty-five or so and obviously a Muslim lady, as she was fully vielled. By the use of her eyes, hands and obvious personality, we had a strong conversation and my small problems were solved. Incidentally, whilst seving me she instructed a young white kid to help another customer, who had accidentally knocked a display over. From his reaction, it was obvious that they got on well, as business colleagues should!
To add another example. I was brought up in London and my mother always told me to hold doors and assist people on the stairs in the Underground. As C and myself, used to travel extensively on public transport in London with three boys under three, I know how difficult it is to manage some parts of the Underground by yourself with children. So if someone is struggling, I will often take the front of a buggy and help the pusher, be they man or woman, up or down the steps. Sometimes it is declined, but most take the offer, as what is it to me? A gain probably, as I don’t get stuck behind the struggler. I have been questioned by some as to why I do it and usually reply about my past experiences and the fact that I think it is courteous. I must admit that sometimes, when I do something smaller, like hold a door say and I get no sign of thanks, such as a smile or a raised hand, I feel that is very sad!
So is it not what you wear but how you behave? Relate properly with your fellow human beings and it doesn’t matter what either of you are wearing.
The Anonymous Widower 
I have a lot of respect for Islam when practised properly and moderately, but sadly in many cases it is practiced neither of these ways.
What concerns me with the burka is that we dont know who is really inside it, whether it is a modest devout lady or someone, male or female, with evil intent of some sort. A 92 year old friend of mine was very scared when a person in a burka knocked on her door and said she was the GP come for a routine visit – the practice she is with visit all their very elderly patients at home every month or so. She refused to let the person in, because she wasnt expecting a visit that day. She is partially sighted to start with, and quite deaf too, and she felt very threatened. It turned out the person was indeed from her GP. But to me, someone visiting an elderly person should not be wearing a burka, or a niqab, which is the veil without the rest of the burka. I also think that since car insurance is generally invalid if the driver is wearing neck collar, it should be invalid if women are wearing burka or niqab – aqnd more and more Musli women are learning to drive, so it is more of an issue.
Comment by Liz P | July 18, 2010 |
The GP should have used some common sense. Incidentally, in some very Muslim countries, women who drive, must be unvielled. I think the UAE Is one, but I can’t remember which.
Having been in Liverpool in the sixties, the joke then was that the worst drivers were nuns, who had headgear that restricted sideways vision, especially if four were in the same car chattering away!
Comment by AnonW | July 18, 2010 |