Do we really want a “national debate” about veiling? A Home Office minister, Jeremy Browne, thinks so. France banned the wearing of the full-face veil in public in 2010 with Belgium following not long after. Their debates have been bitter and divisive.
Browne is reflecting a swirl of conflicting pressures. Some women’s groups want liberation from social authoritarianism. Others want to be left to express their religion as they see fit. Many institutions, schools, colleges, hospitals, the courts, the police need to be able to identify their clients and the public.
Many Britons clearly resent what they perceive as newcomers eager to benefit from British public services yet refusing to accept even a minimum of conformity. Others cherish freedom in all its forms, including sometimes the freedom to behave in what might be considered by others an illiberal fashion.
Certainly, the predicament of Jack Straw MP, who stated publicly that he asks the women who visit him in his constituency if they would mind removing the niqab, is understandable. If the police can ban hoodies in parts of town centres because they obscure their cameras, why not other forms of dress? Teachers must be able to distinguished between pupils in class. Those who wish to make use of public services must expect to identify themselves somehow.
Categories: Europe