Latest news with #burqa
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Once again, British politicians want to ‘ban the burqa'. But this time, I've never felt so afraid
Here we are again, debating the right of Muslim women to wear what they want. Last week, the Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin asked the prime minister, Keir Starmer, if he planned to follow other European countries and prohibit burqas. Then the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, called for bosses to be able to ban the burqa in the workplace. Following the example of the former Labour minister Jack Straw, who in 2006 sparked the first burqa debate by asking constituents at his surgeries to remove their face coverings, she stated that she does not see constituents at her surgeries if they have their faces covered, 'whether it's a burqa or a balaclava'. These comments from politicians hoping to appease rightwing voters have real repercussions for the safety of Muslim women like me. Muslim women, especially those who wear coverings ranging from the headscarf known as the hijab to the full body and face covering known as the burqa, have become a symbol in UK politics of migration and integration. They – or perhaps the perceived oppressive men in their lives – are outsiders who refuse to live by British values. When politicians call to ban the burqa, they position themselves as defenders of a way of life under threat from outside forces. The timing of this cannot be ignored. Reform, which triumphed at the recent local elections, warns in its manifesto that 'unchecked migration has pushed Britain to breaking point'. The Conservatives, keen to claw back any defecting voters, have positioned themselves as equally tough on immigration and integration. When our national leaders parrot catchy soundbites such as 'ban the burqa', what they are really doing is normalising Islamophobia by making it part of mainstream political conversations. Islamophobic incidents rose by 375% in the week after Boris Johnson called veiled Muslim women 'letterboxes' in 2018. As a visibly Muslim woman, I have never felt as afraid as I do right now. Last summer's far-right riots targeting mosques and calling for Muslims to be taken off the streets are etched into my mind. I was born in this country, it's my home, yet I can't shake a feeling of unease. The irony of this debacle is not lost on me. Last time I checked, Britain prided itself in not being the sort of country that told women how to dress. States that do dictate women's clothing (see: Iran) are vilified as misogynistic and ultra-controlling: the antithesis of the enlightened, liberal west. Why, then, is it OK for the government or corporations in Britain to interfere with the autonomy of women who happen to be Muslim? Of course, some will say that face coverings are inherently misogynistic, and so banning them is about protecting Muslim women. But why should politicians get to decide what is oppressive and what isn't, without ever really consulting us? It is disingenuous to pretend that Muslim women are uniquely prone to victimhood. Can we truthfully say anything about the way women are expected to live our lives isn't rooted in patriarchy? Whether it's the bikini or the push-up bra, miniskirts or high heels, as women we are conditioned to shape our identity under the watchful eye of the male gaze. But I'm sure you've heard all of this before, because yet again, here we are: Muslim women defending their right to choose how they exist in British society. What is really being obscured are more pressing issues: inequality, a lack of affordable housing, crumbling public services, a struggling NHS. This was as true in the early 2000s as it is now. Nadeine Asbali is a secondary school teacher in London and the author of Veiled Threat: On Being Visibly Muslim in Britain
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Banning Burqas Is the Wrong Move for the UK
The question rang out like a pistol shot across the House of Commons, where last week's round of prime ministers' questions had been passing in humdrum fashion. 'Given the prime minister's desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbors, will he — in the interests of public safety — follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others, and ban the burqa?' A shocked Keir Starmer mumbled a few words and swiftly moved on without addressing the question from Sarah Pochin, a new member of parliament from the populist Reform UK party.
Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Shadow home secretary distances himself from Badenoch's burqa stance
The shadow home secretary said he holds meetings with constituents who wear the burqa, after Kemi Badenoch said she refuses to do so. Chris Philp said the Tories would give 'serious thought' to rules on coverings after the party leader said employers ought to be free to ban their staff from wearing burqas. Richard Tice, Reform UK's deputy leader, went further, saying the burqa should be banned entirely, although his party is not planning to make it policy. The right wing of British politics has been roiled by debate about the right of Muslim women to cover their faces since Reform's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, used her first appearance at prime minister's questions to call for a burqa ban. Zia Yusuf quit as party chairman soon after branding Pochin's decision to raise the issue 'dumb'. Yusuf, who is Muslim, has since returned to the party, stressing his frustration was about political communication rather than strong feelings about the burqa, telling The Sunday Times he would probably vote in favour of a ban. Tice said that Britain should 'follow seven other nations across Europe that have already banned [burqas]', telling GB News: 'I'm very concerned about it in a Christian nation. And the truth is, how many of the women who wear a burqa wear it out of their own choice or because they're forced to? That's not how we do things in the United Kingdom.' Badenoch said that 'people should be allowed to wear whatever they want, not what their husband is asking them to wear or what their community says that they should wear'. She said that issues such as sharia courts and first-cousin marriage were 'far more insidious and that breeds more problems' than burqas, but said that she did not allow them at her meetings with constituents. 'If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering, whether it's a burqa or a balaclava,' she told The Sunday Telegraph. 'I'm not talking to people who are not going to show me their face, and I also believe that other people should have that control. Organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear; it shouldn't be something that people should be able to override.' Philp appeared to take a different view, saying: 'I have in the past spoken to people, obviously, wearing a burqa; I mean I represent a London constituency.' He said that it was 'definitely the case that employers should be allowed to decide whether their employees can be visible or not'. While telling Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC1 that face coverings were not 'necessarily the biggest issue facing our country right now', he said: 'There's a legitimate debate to have about the burqa. You've got, obviously, arguments about personal liberty and choice and freedom on one side, and arguments about causing divisions in society and the possibility of coercion on the other. That is a debate I think we as a country should be having.' Speaking on GB News, Philp said the Tories were 'going to give a lot of serious thought' to the issue of the burqa, but stressed a ban was not a 'silver bullet'. He pointed to France's 'very serious problems with integration' despite banning the burqa. He said: 'There is a legitimate debate to have there. You've got, obviously, on the one side, arguments about freedom of choice, personal liberty. 'On the other side, of course, you've got questions about social integration barriers being put up between people and obviously the possibility of coercion, either direct or indirect, as well. And look, I think that is a debate we need to have.' Burqas emerged as a political issue almost 20 years ago after Labour's former home secretary Jack Straw said he asked women to remove them in constituency surgeries. He wrote in the Lancashire Telegraph in 2006 that he 'felt uncomfortable about talking to someone 'face to face' who I could not see', arguing that communication was 'of greater value' if he could someone's expression. Describing the burqa as 'a visible statement of separation and of difference', he said that while he would oppose a ban, 'wearing the full veil was bound to make better, positive relations between the two communities more difficult'. In 2010 Straw apologised for the remarks, saying he would not have made them if he knew they would cause such controversy, after he was criticised by a series of figures on the left.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Kemi Badenoch says she refuses to speak to women in burqas at constituency surgeries
LONDON: The leader of the UK's Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch has said she asks women to remove face coverings, including burqas, before speaking with them at constituency surgeries, and believes employers should be allowed to ban staff from wearing the garment. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Badenoch said she supported the right of individuals to wear what they liked, but drew a line at face coverings in certain settings. 'If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering, whether it's a burqa or a balaclava,' she said. 'I'm not talking to people who are not going to show me their face.' Her comments follow renewed debate over the issue after Reform UK's new member of Parliament, Sarah Pochin, urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to consider a burqa ban similar to those in countries such as France. Party leader Nigel Farage also backed the call, prompting a backlash from Muslim groups and some within his own party. Reform's chairman, Zia Yusuf, briefly resigned after the row, citing exhaustion and racist abuse, but has since returned. He told The Sunday Times he might support a ban in principle, but said other issues were more urgent. Yusuf is expected to take on a number of roles within the party, including overseeing local council spending. Badenoch linked the issue of face coverings to broader concerns over integration, pointing to Shariah courts and cousin marriages as 'more insidious' challenges. 'People should be allowed to wear whatever they want, not what their husband or community tells them to wear,' she said. She also backed the right of organizations to set their own dress codes, saying: 'It shouldn't be something that people should be able to override.' While employers can impose dress policies, they must meet legal tests of proportionality and legitimacy under equality and human rights law. Restrictions may be justified on grounds such as health and safety, or the need for clear communication. The debate echoes comments made in 2006 by then-Labour home secretary Jack Straw, who said he asked women visiting his surgery to remove the burqa to enable more meaningful conversation.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Kemi Badenoch says employers should be able to ban burqas in the workplace
Employers should be able to ban burqas in the workplace, Kemi Badenoch has argued, further inflaming the row over the issue ignited by Reform UK last week. The Conservative leader also claimed she wouldn't let people into her constituency surgeries if they wore face veils, saying she has 'strong views about face coverings'. However, she argued there were bigger issues around integration in Britain that should be addressed before legislating on face coverings. It comes after a row over calls to ban the burqa triggered a spat within Reform UK, and led to party chairman Zia Yusuf quitting his role and then returning to party leadership less than 48 hours later. 'If you were to ask me where you start with integration – sharia courts, all of this nonsense sectarianism, things like first-cousin marriage – there's a whole heap of stuff that is far more insidious and that breeds more problems', she told The Telegraph. 'My view is that people should be allowed to wear whatever they want, not what their husband is asking them to wear or what their community says that they should wear... 'If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering, whether it's a burka or a balaclava. 'I'm not talking to people who are not going to show me their face, and I also believe that other people should have that control. Organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear; it shouldn't be something that people should be able to override.' But Mrs Badenoch added: 'France has a ban and they have worse problems than we do in this country on integration. So banning the burka clearly is not the thing that's going to fix things.' Mr Yusuf announced plans to quit as chairman after describing the party's newest MP Sarah Pochin – who won last month's Runcorn and Helsby by-election– as 'dumb' after she challenged Sir Keir Starmer over the legality of women wearing the burqa in the UK during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. In a statement, Mr Yusuf – who is a practicing Muslim - said he no longer believes 'working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time'. But speaking to The Times on Saturday alongside Mr Farage, Mr Yusuf said his decision to quit was an 'error'. 'When I pushed that tweet out it was a coming together of a bit of exhaustion and a feeling that all I got in return for it was abuse', he said. 'I was doing so many things, in the foreground and in the background. Anybody who has been part of a high-growth start-up outside of politics will sympathise and empathise with that. 'What has happened since then is that I've been inundated with messages from Reform members and supporters, who were saying they were devastated and heartbroken and asking me to really reconsider my decision.' The ex-chairman also clarified that he 'did not resign because I have any strong views about the burqa itself.' But he admitted that he felt blindsided by Ms Pochin's decision to ask about a ban at PMQ's, saying it was an 'internal miscommunication issue'. While Mr Yusuf's formal title has not been decided, he is expected to lead Reform's Elon Musk-inspired Doge unit, modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by Donald Trump in the US. Reform's Doge UK team was set up to identify spending cuts in councils the party now controls and was formally launched this week. Mr Yusuf will also oversee some aspects of policymaking, fundraising and media appearances for the party. A new party chair is expected to be appointed next week and a deputy chair will be hired too.
