Group 6 - Newspaper Article - Reader Response

In Search of Common Ground Over Muslim Dress Codes

According to an article in The New York Times , Squad Mekhennet, says that the nonprofit organization entitled “One Young World,” recently met with business people, various religious and political leaders, such as Muhammad Yunus and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. Mr. Mekhennet says that,” striking at an “interfaith” discussion after the official panel, during which four women — three of them Muslims wearing the veil, and the fourth a Hindu — tussled with two businessmen, one from Pakistan and the second from South Africa, over the niqab the veil for the face.”

A niqab is also called a ruband. Niqab is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb (styles of clothing found in predominantly Muslim societies) . Many of has have seen women and or young children wearing these niqab's either at a social event, school, work, or in public. This was  a serious discussion brought up within the meeting which was suppose to be an “interfaith” discussion. A meeting that started out that each person was feeling  they were a part of one big happy family.

The discussion to debate war in the name of religion or to urge tolerance was cut short when all attention and discussion went to the rights of women wearing the niqab. It was said that life was hard enough, and that tolerance and common ground between different religions, but what is it with the tolerance inside their own religion?  

In my opinion women have the right to chose, not only the right to chose religion, but the right to chose how they view their religion and what they want to wear that is associated with their beliefs. It is every individuals right to chose not only their own path but daily choses that they have to make on their own, and not have anyone else be the leader in their decisions. Telling people what they can and can not wear is in my personal opinion  need not be expressed. If a woman wearing a niqab were to walk down the street or do some grocery shopping, we need to be open-minded and mutually respectful as a society to them and their religion.

This is a battle that has been going on within the Muslim community and the Islamic religion for many years. As we come across articles online, in newspapers, on the news or hear about debates of women and the Niqab, we can not help but dwell on issues and try to to establish the political and economic alternatives that Islam offers the human race. In my opinion Muslims should stop fighting one another over trivial matters, especially if these matters do not stand in the way of the fundamentals. In the end I believe that the Niqab is not required. Let women have the right to chose to wear or not to wear the niqab. How would we like it if someone controlled what we wore, or what we can and can not do? I know that I would not like this type of control at all.


Mekhennet, Squad "In Search of Common Ground Over Muslim Dress Codes." New York Times, 5 Sept. 2002 print.