The Muslim Woman

The veil is increasingly becoming a torment in Britain, not for those who wear it, but for the rest. Even in a secularly tolerant society like Britain, the veil is becoming hard to absorb. And efforts are going on to place legal curbs on the burqa to the dismay of the Muslim community. Muslim women in Britain wear black gowns that cover them from head to toe in leaving only a slit for their eyes. There have been many instances where citizens of Britain have shown their reluctance to accept the veil draped Muslim women. The past year has seen numerous examples, where the veil-covered women have been targets of abuse. An immigration judge told a lawyer dressed in a niqab that she could not represent a client for he could not hear her. A student lost a case she was fighting for being barred from wearing a niqab. Moreover, the British education authorities are proposing to disallow niqab in schools altogether. While few like David Sexton, columnist for The Evening Standard, find Britain to be too deferential toward the veil. Young Muslim women who started wearing niqab since Sept. 11, 2001 concede that it is a frontal expression of Islamic identity, which they have embraced as a form of rebellion against the policies of British Government in Iraq and at home. Few feel it is an act of faith towards Alha, while some take it as a symbol of Muslim identity and solidarity in the British society, which is increasingly becoming intolerant towards the burqa and taunting them. There is also a group of Muslim women who find the niqab objectionable. Imran Ahmad, author of ‘Unimagined’, an autobiography of growing up Muslim in Britain, and head of British Muslims for Secular Democracy feels that the veil is offensive, something steeped in subjugation. While few Muslim women in Britain wear the headscarf, called the hijab, covering all or some of their hair, some wear the nikab. Like in France, Turkey and Tunisia, where students in state schools and female civil servants are banned from covering their hair, UK is also trying to bring in a similar legislation. Muslim women have been wearing burka or nikab for time immemorial. While few have been forced to wear it as a compulsion, some wear it as a ritual, while the rest for their self-pleasure. But, burqa is considered as a kind of subjugation and backwardness, but when religion permits, what can others do? And, more importantly, why? Image Va: IHT