Straw's Veil Comments Unhelpful

Jack Straw's statement was not an off-the-cuff remark but a well-planned statement

With the community feeling besieged and misunderstood, it was not an ideal time for an MP with a sizeable (25 percent) Muslim minority in his constituency to speak out against the niqab (face veil). But this is exactly what Jack Straw did by declaring to the press that the veil was making "better, positive relations" between the communities "more difficult" and declaring it "a visible sign of difference." Moreover, he went further, stating that he requested women wearing the face veil to take it off when meeting him face to face in his office, arguing that it makes communication much easier. He said he was concerned that the use of the veil was becoming more common in his constituency and that he felt it contributed to division within the community.

Straw, Elections, and Muslims

Attacks on British Muslims have increased thirty-fold during the month of Ramadan

Straw has been unpopular with many Muslims in the past as a result of his actions. As foreign secretary, he took Britain into the war in Iraq in which many Muslims lost their lives, and he also played a key role in introducing anti-terror legislation that threatens to undermine civil liberties. He has always had some strong Muslim supporters at home in Blackburn, but in the last election there was a heated campaign to unseat him because of his support for the war in Iraq. This campaign, Operation Muslim Vote, was conducted by the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC), whose popular and lively campaigning website can be viewed at mpacuk.org.

His decision to bring Condoleeza Rice to visit Blackburn, especially the controversial and later cancelled plan to take her on a visit to a local mosque, was met with widespread opposition by anti-war campaigners.

Catherine Hossain, of MPAC, agreed on News Night that there were problems of segregation in towns like Blackburn, citing as an example of discrimination the intimidation of and attacks on Muslim women trying to pray in local mosques by certain mosque members who do not agree that they should be allowed to enter the mosque.

"My real concern is that he's trivialized a real and serious problem of the segregation that we have between Muslims and non-Muslims in towns like Blackburn," Hossain said.

But even his traditional supporters in the Lancashire Council of Mosques were distancing themselves from him after his latest remarks, calling his statement "very insensitive and unwise."

Already there have been further consequences for the beleaguered Muslim community, when a woman had her veil ripped off her face in Liverpool a couple of days after Jack Straw's remarks and youths in Blackburn shouted at a young girl wearing a veil. Many Muslims have been taken by surprise by the way in which the niqab has suddenly emerged as an issue, as it is estimated that only 5 percent of British Muslims wear the face covering, and opinion is divided among the scholars and Muslim community concerning it.

Well-Planned Statement

There was concern that Jack Straw's statement was not an off-the-cuff remark but a well-planned statement there to test the ground for an election policy to ban hijab. Others were keen to defend women's freedom of choice and to point out that if Straw does not feel comfortable with the veil, he should reconsider whether he is suitable to represent his Muslim constituency. They argued that there are other clothing choices that can make people feel uncomfortable that are not up for public criticism. One teacher at a high school told me "I would prefer it if girls did not come into my classroom wearing really short skirts; however, it is the girls' right to wear them if they choose."

There was also a sense of frustration. People are dying all over the world as a result of British foreign policy, but what hits the headlines is not the people dying every day in Iraq and Palestine and elsewhere, but the veil that few women wear anyway. One person mentioned the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, even if he is a disbeliever, for there is no veil (separating his supplication from God)."

Most Muslims are tired of the negative attention and media frenzy. At the same time that Straw's comments were gripping media attention, a few miles down the road from Blackburn, in Colne, police found a record haul of chemicals used for making bombs, in addition to rocket launchers and a nuclear biological suit. There is a sizeable Muslim community in the area, but the men arrested were not Muslim. They were known as supporters of the racist and Islam-hating BNP, whose literature was found along with the bomb-making equipment. Yet this major new story seems confined to the local press, receiving no publicity in the national media. Local Muslims are asking themselves why.

Non-Muslims Views

Among the non-Muslims, opinion was also varied. Some praised Straw for his openness in expressing his personal opinion, and some shared Straw's views that the veil is alien to British society and not conducive to open communication because of the importance of the face in displaying feelings and emotions. In the Guardian, Jean Seaton, professor of media history at the University of Westminster, said she would be reluctant to teach a student who covered her face.

"MartianBishop" on Mumsnet discussion forum expressed concern that the emergence of rickets among women of South Asian origin is due to a shortage of the vital vitamin D needed for the absorption of calcium by the bones. A major source of vitamin D is sunlight absorbed by the skin, with darker skins needing more of the vitamin. MartianBishop argues that Britain's cloudy climate and unsuitable housing stock make full covering unhelpful for vitamin D absorption.

"Piffle," also on Mumsnet, was more supportive, saying "I think if we talk about dressing in ways people find offensive, then it's Jodie Marsh and Jordan et al who should be singled out. I feel more intimidated by flaunting of semi naked bodies in soft porn outfits, than I do a fully covered Muslim woman."

All sides might be interested to know that face coverings were once fashionable in 17th century England. However, the masks, known as vizards, fell out of favor and were eventually banned after it was argued that the anonymity they afforded their wearers was corrupting public morals.

Halima Columbo embraced Islam in 1990. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University, she worked as a researcher in local community and economic development, with a particular interest in holistically interpreting and managing social change. She can be reached at European Muslims mail.