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October 16, 2006
In Australia the veil is seen by conservatives as a political statement (part of its "aggressive" role). What is overlooked is the lack of job opportunities, racism in the employment market, the chronic shortage of affordable housing and what increasingly looks like institutionalised racism in the provision of the most basic council/state government services.
The cartoon below refers to the row over religious dress and the integration of communities in the UK arising from remarks by Jack Straw, who sparked a debate when he urged Muslim women to abandon the veil because it hampered community relations since one could not talk face to face. Straw's comments referred specifically to the veil that covers the whole of the face except the eyes (niqab), or even hides the eyes (burka), not to the many variants of the headscarf which are the more usual version of hijab in Britain.
The Times
The Muslim veil is not seen an issue of personal choice. The universities are moving to "uncomfortable" or "threatened". Veiled Muslim women are caricatured as oppressed victims who need rescuing from their controlling men, while at the same time accused of being threatening creatures who really should stop intimidating the (overly tolerant) majority.
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have a read of:
http://miseryandsuffering.blogspot.com
his first blog is on the muslim debate. very amusing!!