:Fixed Point

The debate on the veil continues in England. As a libertarian, I cannot endorse the popularly held view that people should be made to dress one way or another, even if it means covering their entire faces and draping their bodies in a shapeless chador. Is it fair, then for Jack Straw to ask Muslim women if they wouldn’t mind revealing their faces when he speaks to them? Of course it is. so why the indignation by Muslims, some of whom appear confused over the status of the veil, as these letters to Muslin News suggest?

The confusion appears to arise because there are many Muslims who, perhaps because of the Turkish experience, have elevated the veil as the ultimate symbol of Islamic identity. But this must be false because it is not the veil that is compulsory in Islam, but the concept of modesty. And modesty is itself a relative concept dependent both on absolute standards (few societies endorse our right to go around completely naked) and on the message recipient’s expectations. Thus, in my office, women dress in modestly; a modesty that I think is more conducive to a healthy society. Why? Because the apparently all-or-nothing version of modesty that some Muslims believe in perpetuates the view that women are by and large sexual objects and/or men, sooner or later will stray from pure thoughts. As a man, I find this objectionable. In a professional context, it is quite easy to stay away from impure thoughts about my co-workers. In fact, the un-exceptional but smart dress sense of my female colleagues creates an environment where they stand out only by what they say and do in a professional context, rather than the way they dress. Compare this with a Muslim women wearing a niqab. Is she truly being modest when her appearance invites exaggerated and prolonged looks, and perhaps some discomfort? Furthermore, if she dresses this way on purpose, knowing their are other ways to comply with the ordinances of her religion, such as a simple headscarf that does not cover the face), then is she in fact being vain - the complete opposite of modest?

Of course, if a women wants to cover her face, this is her right, but to pretend there is no trade-off between modesty as defined by the niqab and say ‘ability to communicate effectively’ is a nonsense. In my opinion, all Jack Straw was attempting to do was draw attention to this trade-off.

See also Chris Dillow for a discussion on the issue of the veil hampering communication.