Monday 11 April 2011

The Ban of the Veil

At an interview last summer with ITV journalists, discussion about France’s niqab ban became the topic of our conversation. It was a debate that had been ensuing across the media for months after Sarkozy promised to ban the veil.

Today the ban was implemented. The controversial legislation already sparked arrests. The first woman to be arrested for protesting ‘unauthorised’ outside Notre Dame said "I'm just expressing my freedom to be. A freedom of conscience, a freedom to come and go, a religious freedom.”

Yet France does not seem to recognise the contention that ‘freedom’ is behind most women’s choice to wear the veil. Hence legislation gives the heftiest fine to anyone found guilty of forcing a woman to cover their face, a fine up to 3000 Euros (that’s £26000). The alternative is one year’s imprisonment.


It seems that European law is swinging far to the right with the Netherlands, Italy and Germany also discussing the possibility of a ban. In London today about 50 people protested outside the French embassy. Their support for the French women affected by the ban is of course the underlying reason for the protest, but beneath is always the apprehension that a similar ban may make its way to our soil. Reassurances that Britain is ‘too tolerant’ for such a legislation is undermined not only by the Jack Straw’s previous comments, numerous polls which show public opinion in favour of a ban, but the prime minister’s recent comment that multi culturalism isn’t working.

At the interview, the journalist remarked that this debate is one that will fizzle down and flare up several times. With the ban now fully implemented and arrest already been made, I believe we have hardly seen the extent to which the debates surrounding the veil can flare up.

It Doesn’t Always Have to be About Middle East Politics

About a month ago my university hosted an interfaith event, calling on the many diverse faith societies to team up and tackle common misconceptions about faith. For once, members of the Islamic society and Jewish society were able to work together in an environment where one side weren’t censuring the other over issues of Middle East Politics.

The event, entitled Myth? {Busters}! included a panel of the Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Bah’ai and Hindu speakers who were presented with a variety of ‘myths’ to address. The myths ranged from questions on faith and morality, fundamentalism, common misconceptions and the need and purpose for interfaith. Whilst steering clear of subjects of apparent controversy, the audience were able to continue discussion amongst themselves and the panellists in a networking session after. Probably unsurprisingly, I saw the Muslim and Jewish speaker engaged in conversation for a long time.

Muslims and Jews were not the sole participants of the events, but were amongst the largest groups represented within the audience. For once, faith provided us with common ground, moving discussion away from ongoing politics which occupies most of the conversation at other events where both societies are present.

However, there’s no denying that the issue of Israel and Palestine was stirring beneath the surface of some discussion, and there were members of the audience eager to incorporate politics into future interfaith events. Whether this is a good idea depends on the nature and purpose of interfaith. Could interfaith provide a platform for constructive political debate though its goal of encouraging discussion of religious tolerance and co-existence? Or should it remain essentially neutral, the one place where faith and not politics takes precedence in future debates? Whilst faith and politics surrounding Palestine/Israel are interchangeable, sometimes it’s refreshing to have events with the Jewish and Islamic societies which aren’t always about the Middle East.

After the Revolution: Cairo in Pictures

The revolution over, Mubarak’s regime toppled, the people of Egypt call for their family abroad to come home and help rebuild the country. Many Egyptians fled Mubarak’s regime and now their sense of national pride and love for their home country calls them back.
Life in Cairo largely returns to normal, but there are plenty of issues left to be resolved. The tourism industry is just one of the many problems Egyptians face. Egypt depends on tourism as its main source of income, but with no tourists eager to return any time soon, things are looking uncertain for the country’s future.

A blogger/photographer visited Cairo recently to take pictures of day to day life in the city, following the topple of the regime. visit: http://www.lukeesh.com/blog/?p=5307