Veils: A Dress Code of Ethnic Identity, or Civil Inconvenience?

In the eyes of the secular world, such a dress code, however, may well be perceived differently.

Tony Blair: Veils a Sign of Separation

In England, the veil has implications that go beyond what is deemed normal, by western standards.

Tony Blair once remarked that a typical full-faced veil is a mark of separation. Given that Britain's migrant population has bludgeoned significantly over the past few decades, his remarks may have been an attempt at racial integration between migrations and the mainstream English community, which, by and large, are not used to such inhibitive dress codes.

In Oct 2006, Britain's senior minister, Jack Straw, also condemned the veil, saying that it made community relations more difficult.

School Guidelines: Veils Could be Banned for Safety & Security Reasons

If the latest guidance paper from Britain's Department for Education and Skills (DFES) is enforced, schools may be empowered to decide whether veils can be allowed in schools.

According to a spokesman, "If they feel any garment imposes on a child's ability to learn or is a safety or security issue they could be banned.
The new school guidelines come after a British girl, Shabina Begum, lost a legal battle a year ago to be allowed to wear full Islamic dress in school.
While the idea is to safeguard the child's safety, the reality of the situation may be that full face veils may provide a kind of civil inconvenience that far outweighs its religious importance to the Muslim woman.

Security Threat

The Muslim veil may seem harmless, in reality, it can be abused by criminals and terrorists as a getaway for their dastardly acts.

Any terrorist, for example, can make a quick getaway by covering himself or herself with the Muslim veil. Chances are, cops are not going to check on the identities of women in such dressings, as this would invoke an outcry of Islamphobia.

Such a fear cannot be deemed unfounded. In February, the trial of six men accused of plotting suicide bombings in London on July 21, 2005, was told by prosecutors one of the suspects had escaped disguised as a woman in a burqa after the failed attacks. Two months earlier, British police hypothesized that a man wanted for questioning over the murder of a female police officer could have fled the country disguised as a Muslim woman wearing a full veil.

The issue of the veil has become a dicey affair, and perhaps places too much undue spotlight on the plight of Muslim women. After all, unlike strict, fundamentalist countries, these women are, after all, not forced by any government decree to wear such clothing.