GUEST POST: Too little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

By Wendy Fraser (aka PJ)

Recent coverage of events such as those surrounding the death of Michael Jackson and the scandals associated with MP’s expenses have one stark similarity - the depth to which detail is reported, analysed and interpreted. Of course there is huge diversity in the opinions presented depending upon which newspaper, internet site or blog that you choose to read but by virtue of the sheer volume of detail we do all become armchair experts in these debates. What then of the debate surrounding wearing of the burkha or the veil in the UK? I’d hazard a guess that most people have an opinion on the subject, and some of them have certainly been strongly aired in the media recently, yet it strikes me that although this issue is reported with recurring frequency what is lacking so far is enough detail for an informed debate.

In order for that debate to have any possibility of reaching a positive conclusion there are currently several key missing elements, starting with a lack of clarity and depth of understanding of the issues. There are many separate, although admittedly related, aspects that merit examination and discussion; national and personal security, the oppression of women (or not), cultural and religious differences to name but a few. To my mind the starting point has to be that of security concerns relating to identities being “hidden” by the veil. To wade into a debate about the misinterpretation of the Koran to oppress women from certain cultures is unlikely to lead to a successful outcome unless it is approached with extreme caution and considerable knowledge, indeed it may only serve to drive a wedge between Muslim and non-Muslim communities and add strength to the loathsome BNP. Lord only knows we must avoid that at all costs!

As a Western society that all too often takes our freedoms for granted it is hard to imagine the realities of living hidden from view and subject to restrictions that to us appear alien and oppressive. Having lived for some time in Saudi Arabia I have experienced what it is like to live in a country where the majority of women are veiled and shrouded in black abbiyahs. Although there was no law stating that Western women were obliged to wear an abbiyah we were strongly advised by the British Embassy to do so, after all we were visitors to another culture and should be respectful of their customs and social expectations. Clearly it doesn’t always work both ways...but that is another topic for another day. Women were segregated from men almost everywhere; the mosques, hospitals, restaurants, transport and (of particular relevance to this discussion) airports. At each airport there was a separate area designed specifically to counter the difficulties of searching women. Here veils, abbiyahs, burkhas etc were all removed and female searchers carried out the security checks as normal.

Given that some of our specific security concerns about identities hidden behind burkhas and veils are an integral part of the security procedures of many countries I can only hope that we are looking at those examples for potential solutions. And particularly asking the communities within the UK that these issues affect to be an active part in helping develop a better understanding of the problems and find a mutually acceptable solution.

My children cried when I first put on my abbiyah, they cried because they were scared of what would happen to me because they saw how differently women were treated and didn’t want that to happen to me. But very quickly they realised that the clothing didn’t change me (I was still the same Mummy) and I actually learned to enjoy wearing it when it was 50C and I could walk through the city wearing my abbiyah and be considerably more cool and comfortable than in western clothes. Their perception changed with understanding, as did mine.

We are afraid of what we do not understand, we react defensively and often aggressively to what we believe may be a threat to us or others around us. But we mustn’t forget to do the education necessary to fully understand the problem, from both sides. Without that knowledge we have little hope of finding a solution.