Source & Credit: Lansing Islam Examiner
By Maham Khan | Holt, Michigan | May 26, 2010
There is a sizeable Muslim community from Africa and the Middle East living in Lansing. Quite a few of the women wear the hijab and the abaya (an outer coat). And some even prefer the veil.
Many times, I have come across Muslim sisters at ALDIZ, all covered up from head to toe. ALDIZ is a small grocery store and perhaps some people may feel confronted when they see women dressed up as if beneath a wide sheet. But they never expressed any concern. Neither did the friendly cashiers or the manager.
But if Christopher Hitchens were to walk inside, he would probably demand 'his' right to see the faces behind the veils.
In his article, In Your face, posted on slate.com (05/10/2010), Christopher Hitchens brings up a myriad of reasons in favor of the French ban on the Islamic veil.
He claims that hiding one's face is an infringemnent on another's right to see it. I really don't see where the trump card is. Regarding the all white hooded dress code of the Ku Klux Klan, he said that even though he would "not deny the right of the KKK to take this faith based view", he upholds his right to not interact with them. So the same reasoning should be extended to Muslim women who wear the veil. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion and its expression to all faiths.
But here Hitchens raises a recurring problem of his: the adamant belief that there could be no probability of the opposite to his opinions. He insists that the veil is imposed on Muslim women and there is increasing evidence to prove it. He's forgetting or perhaps ignoring the wave of young women who began observing some form of the veil after 9/11.
Hitchens' argument that the ban on the veil is actually "attempting to lift a ban" on women is misleading. Many women voluntarily observe the veil. Some actually prefer the anonymity when in public. And the Holy Qur'an has only given an outline of how a Muslim woman should cover, which entails covering her hair and her bosom, ( refer to 24:32, 33:60, Holy Qur'an). If a woman chooses to cover her face, it is her prerogative. But of course, not according to Hitchens.
Nevertheless, Hitchens must be aware of the fact that all nation-state members of the United Nations are also obligated to guarantee religious freedom, as per the 1981 Resolution adopted by the General assembly in its 36th session in November 1981. Even a public manifestation of any form of religious belief is not forbidden.
If the issue of security is what rattles him, which it is not, then it as an assumption again that a criminal could be walking under the burqa. If Hitchens can justify the right of the many past Ku Klux Klan members who strode in public with the intention to instill fear in people, then a Muslim woman behind a veil should not be seen as a danger. It is her freedom of expression. Though she is only walking in modesty according to the ideals of her faith and not carrying a gun beneath her burqa.
Security checks can be made with women officers kept in place just the way they do at airports and even some banks and courts. Metal detectors are the norm in many stores. Perhaps Hitchens' bank in Washington, D.C should place a female guard who can allay his fears.
The garments of a Muslim woman are not the underlying issue here. It is the fact that "sorority" is being upheld in the eyes of the French who view the veil as a tool of oppression rather than as a mode of expression. Islamic values are seen as a fearful factor in the society and instead of trying to overcome the prejudice, the French are only causing it to grow.
Christopher Hitchens lives in the United States of America, the Land of the Free. Here Muslim women are proud bearers of their hijabs and their veils. He should take a look around him and admit that freedom has made it easier for the Muslim women to observe the veil. Supporting the French ban goes against his nation's ideals.
Read original article here: Muslim Women's Veil in Lansing:Against Christopher Hitchens' Rights
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