Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Are New Laws Calling for the Ban of Niqab Causing Violence?
Is it possible that the new legislation proposed in the countries of France, Canada and Belgium, among others is leading to an increase in attacks on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa?
These laws seem to give individuals, many with a deep-seated hatred for Islam, the green light to act in a violent and racist manner. The politicians who are promoting these laws are pandering to the fears of their constituencies and indirectly legitimizing and institutionalizing the hatred. This hatred, manifests itself in attacks on innocent women who are protecting their dignity and professing their faith in Allah.
William Baikie, 26, admitted racially assaulting 26-year-old Anwar Al-Qahtani by forcibly removing her niqab in the city’s Hope Street, the BBC said. Miss Al-Qahtani, protecting her modesty as part of Islamic teachings, had to use another piece of clothing to cover her face after the veil was ripped as Baikie pulled it from her.
Baikie ran off after the attack but was later arrested by police after being identified through CCTV. Sentencing Baikie at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday, Sheriff Lindsay Wood told him that what he did was an “absolute disgrace”. He said: “The offense you committed was a shameful one.” “You are a man who has a number of racist convictions and you knew full well how offensive the act would have been to the lady,” Sheriff Lindsay told Baikie.
The court heard how Miss Al-Qahtani had come to Scotland from Saudi Arabia to study a masters degree.
According to STV, Prosecutor Iain Bradley told the court “This thoughtless, disrespectful act has had a very serious and profound effect on Miss Al-Qahtani.
“She and her husband follow the Qur’an very strictly and it is highly offensive for anybody, particularly a man, to have sight of her face in public.
“She now feels that she has lost her independence as she is afraid to go out on her own in case it happens again. She is effectively house bound as a result of what the accused did.”
Defense lawyer Ken Sinclair told the court that his client was drunk at the time of the attack and can offer no explanation for what he did, STV reported.
Mr. Sinclair said: “He appreciates that such behavior is totally unacceptable and he is deeply ashamed of what he did.”
Perhaps those in charge of nations should begin to consider the human rights of all of their citizens, not just those with whom they agree. If they continue to advocate for laws that penalize women because they are adhering to their traditions , these heinous attacks on innocent women may well continue or increase.
Controversial Saudi Sheikh Yusef al-Ahmad Calls for Muslim Maids only in Saudi Arabia
"If there is a need to import workers as female domestics, they should be Muslims," Sheikh Yusef al-Ahmad, a strong opponent of men and women mixing in the ultra-conservative kingdom, told the sabq.org website.
He also said female domestics should cover themselves in the home, and that, following Islamic requirements for Saudi women, they should also be required to have a male relative guardian, or mahram, with them in Saudi Arabia.
"They should be required to work in the home covered with the hijab (veil), and not mix with men in the home, not enter their rooms or the hall or serve them," he said.
Surprisingly, I somewhat agree with his position. (Perhaps it's a good thing that I will be returning to the USA for a while).
Sheikh al-Ahmad is a lecturer at Riyadh's Imam Mohammed bin Saudi University, the country's leading Islamic education institution. He gained notoriety earlier this year when he called for the Grand Mosque of Mecca, Islam's holiest site, to be torn down and rebuilt with separate entrances and areas for men and women.
After living in Saudi Arabia for about 8 months, I have heard numerous stories about what happens behind closed doors. Stories of illicit relationships between the man of the house or the sons and the maid, stories of jealous wives and even stories of murder and revenge on the children.
Please understand that I am not blaming the foreign women who are working as maids; but in a society where men rarely see any woman at all, having a young foreign woman working in the house can cause problems. Keeping the women covered and separated from the men in the house, may be a good thing.
In addition, many of these young women are doing a good deal of the child rearing. Requiring that they be Muslim, would help to ensure that the children are being taught according to Islamic values.
Sheikh al-Ahmad's latest comments are directed at the huge foreign labor pool in the country, accounting for an estimated eight to 10 million in a population of about 25 million people.
Saudi families employ millions of foreign cooks, maids and drivers, many of whom already come from large Muslim states like Indonesia and countries in Africa.
Most of the more than one million Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia are female household workers. But they are not required to be in the country with male guardians. Sheikh al-Ahmad's position may be pose difficulties for the average Saudi family who is in need of a maid. Earlier this summer, Saudi recruitment agencies had discussed suspending the hiring of maids from Indonesia due to sky-rocketing recruitment costs.
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