The face-veil, called a niqab or burqa, is religious clothing worn by many Muslims around the world. It is not a short-lived fashion item that comes and goes. It is worn in China just as it is worn in France, even though it is supposedly banned there.
It is not something exclusive to Islam. Mention of it is found in all monotheistic religions. Banning it should be protested by all followers of these religions.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen and any other countries see it as their national dress, just as a form of jilbab (wide long dress) is the common dress code for the men.
Is it right to ban something that is both a cultural and a religious symbol for so many? Would doing this not follow in the footsteps of the regimes we so despise for their violation of human and social rights?
Advanced societies pride themselves on their respect for human rights. They claim to be founded on freedom and liberty for all. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 18:1, proclaims: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
The banning of the face-veil breaches international law and is highly discriminatory towards Muslims and towards certain countries and their culture. It vilifies a minority group of Muslim women, who already feel harassed. Instead of encouraging the community to respect them as equals, this law would increase their suffering at the hands of the few.
The government should be protecting these women from such attacks rather than condoning the slurs and discriminatory practices against them. No government can claim to be a beacon of justice if it tolerates and promotes injustice towards a minority group within its society.
Why do people fear the face-veil? Fear of it is no more justified than being afraid of a helmet or large-framed sunglasses. It is only because of the fierce media campaign against Islam that some people are afraid of the face-veil – and the fear is not of the clothing itself but rather of the perception built by the media of all things Muslim.
Male dominance is a reality in most societies, independent of the woman’s choice of clothing
The Maltese visiting Dubai do not feel surrounded by threats there. The media furore against the religion, instead of against the real perpetrators and supporters of terror, is the real source of the fear. Our political parties, in their efforts to gain support, would do well to steer clear of this fear-mongering campaign.
Is the face-veil a security threat? Any perceived security risk is easily nullified when one understands that a woman wearing the face-veil is fully aware of her religious and social obligation to respect authority. Any woman wearing the face-veil would comply if asked to identify herself. This has never been an issue, even in countries where it is the cultural norm for the women to cover up their faces.
Is the face-veil anti-social? Well, it does not stop a woman from pursuing her studies, from working or from functioning in society as she sees fit. Whether she is a mother, a lawyer or a student, she interacts with society as needed. The face-veil is just a way of presenting herself in society.
On the other hand, if society bans her style of clothing, her sense of propriety would be challenged. How would she then integrate and interact with society? She would feel hated and despised to a greater extent and her life would be limited to her home.
In many countries, women wearing the face-veil have successful careers and businesses. Curtailing this possibility in our country is surely not what we would want to be known for.
Is the face-veil a sign of male dominance? Not unless you make it so. Instead of dictating how women should dress, why isn’t the government working to better protect women’s rights? Why doesn’t it seriously start to look into the wage gap between the sexes or plan for better structures to tackle sexual harassment in schools and offices? Why isn’t it heeding the complaints of women’s rights groups against the issuing of licences for pornographic TV channels and magazines?
Male dominance is a reality in most societies, independent of the woman’s choice of clothing. Male imposition appears to be very common in Maltese society, independent of religion, dress or social status.
The face-veil is not a sign of male dominance but those who support this ban would edge towards backing this mentality, because it would violate women’s rights. Once a veiled woman feels she cannot venture out comfortably in her own country, what other choice would she have than to put her faith in the hands of male members of her family?
Making sweeping judgements and unjust associations about a woman’s choice of dress is not the way forward in a democratic and just society. At a time when women are supposed to be given so much freedom of expression and choice, is it not hypocritical to single out Muslim women and impose on them what they should not wear?
Carol Gatt is a Muslim Maltese and a stay-at-home mum.