The Ambassadors (July 2005)

After the events of September 11, the congested world became very sensitive and allergic. Bin Laden and his group have succeeded in creating suspicions and confrontations between neighbours everywhere. The wars that ensued in Afghanistan and Iraq and the ongoing hostilities have resulted in bloody clashes and attacks on both Shi'a and Sunni holy sites, with the killing both civilian women and children, and the beheading or electrocution of men. The killing of three Palestinian brothers under the age of 10 and a judge is also unbelievable. The media airing this unexpected and inhumane events has led to shock and disbelief everywhere in the world, harming the image of Muslims and leading the general public to fear of their presence in non-Muslim countries--magnifying Islamophobia.

Dr. Maher Hathout, MD, one of the founders of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), is the brother of the Islamic scholar, Prof. Hassan Hathout. On July 16, 2006, the Interfaith Community United for Justice and Peace meeting convened of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Islamic Centre of Southern California. The speakers were Rabbi Leonard Beerman, Rev. Dr. George Regas, and Dr. Maher Hathout. Rev. Regas, retired rector of All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena told the audience of 250 concerned citizens, "we must speak out against violence." Rabbi Beerman, founder of Leo Baeck Temple, mentioned "silence the canons - no more military madness." Dr. Hathout, chairman of the Islamic Centre, emphasized that the end was not designed to be a political forum, but a spiritual forum, "being spiritual does not mean we would not take a stand against injustice." There is no doubt that through honest inter-faith dialogue, the Islamophobia phenomenon can be conquered. The world is in great need of mutual respect and understanding of different cultures and their practices. Millions of Muslims live in non-Muslim countries, including at least 13 million in European countries, many of them achieving great successes in their societies, such as Dr. Maher Hathout in the United States. Of the possible alternatives for Muslims moving to non-Muslim countries, Dr. Hathout chose to be an Integrationist and not an Assimilationist or Isolationist.

Recently, there has been controversy around the veil worn by some women to conceal their faces. Many have viewed this as a conflict between Muslims on one side and Islamophobic West on the other. Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, the Qatar-based Islamic scholar, stated "it is not obligatory for Muslim women to wear the niqab. The majority of Muslim scholars and I don't support the niqab, in which women cover their faces." The discussions about the burka and the right of Muslim women to wear it in non-Muslim

communities was one of the topics that raised many conflicts in Europe, leading to protests and demonstrations. Seen in this photo, a burka-veiled woman chants against the Dutch government's policy proposal to ban the burka and niqab in the Netherlands at Amsterdam's Dam Square. It is well-known that head-dresses are not only used by Muslims, but also among some Christian sects including Amish women and nuns, some Orthodox Jewish factions and other religious groups. There are four different forms of the veil worn by Muslim women; hijab, chador, niqab and burka. Not all Muslim women are veiled, and this practice differs from country to country and the type worn based on the cultural practices as well.

In Amsterdam, there is a debate regarding whether the Dutch government would introduce legislation banning full-length veils and other clothing that covers the face in public places. Some mentioned that it is undesirable that garments covering the face, including the burka, should be worn in public mainly for security reasons and protection of fellow citizens. Despite this heated debate, of the one million Muslims who live in the Netherlands (5-6% of the total population), the Dutch Muslim community estimates that there are fewer than 50 women wear the head-to-toe burka or the niqab Prof. Sajida Alvi of McGill's Institute of Islamic Studies said, the Dutch government's decision appears to be its way of making minorities integrate into the social order. She is the co-editor of, The Muslim Veil in North America: Issues and Debates. Ms. Rita Verdonic, the Minister of Immigration, mentioned that, "From a security standpoint, people should always be recognizable, and from the standpoint of integration, we think people should also be able to communicate with one another."

In Britain, a furor erupted over an Anglican school's decision to suspend Mrs. Aishah Azmi, a 24-year-old teaching assistant for wearing a niqab. Headfield Church of England Junior School in Dewsbury had said Azmi should remove the veil so the pupils could see her lips when speaking, as a number found it difficult to comprehend her words with the veil covering her mouth. However, when she refused, the school suspended her, making clear there was absolutely no religious motivation behind the decision but rather was acting simply in the best interests of the students’ education. Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, concluded: “If there's a practical question about, for example, the visibility of the teacher to hearing impaired children, or children with behavioural difficulties, where you need to see the face, that's a question that has to be faced in those terms, not in terms of what is religiously acceptable in public.” Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair entered the debate and called the dress, "a mark of separation". Some consider it a barrier to good community relations. PM Blair spoke of integration adding, " If you come here lawfully, we welcome you. If you are permitted to stay here permanently, you become an equal member of our community and become one of us. The right to be different. The duty to integrate. That is what being British means. And neither racists nor extremists should be allowed to destroy it." The British Muslim teacher lost her discrimination test case, but won £1,100 for victimisation in the way the dispute was handled. An employment tribunal rebuked government ministers, including the prime minister, for commenting on the highly controversial issue, while it was still sub judice. The Muslim veil dress is once again in the news last December. Mustaf Jamma, a Somali murder suspect left Heathrow Airport wearing a niqab. He is the main suspect in the killing of a female police constable, Sharon Beshenivsky, in 2005l According to newspaper reports, Jamma, 26, managed to hoodwink security at the airport using his sister's passport and returned to Somalia.

Interestingly, Mrs. Nadia Eweida, 55, of Twickenham, London, has been on unpaid leave since her British Airways bosses said she could not visibly wear her cross at the check-in counter. She lost her appeal against the decision by BA and they denied they had banned the wearing of crosses and said Ms Eweida had a right to a second appeal. BA said in a statement: "British Airways has 34,000 uniformed staff, all of whom know they must abide by our uniform policy. "The policy recognises that it is not practical for some religious symbols - such as turbans and hijabs - to be worn underneath the uniform. This is purely a question of practicality. There is no discrimination between faiths. It said its uniform policy stated that such items could be worn if concealed underneath the uniform.

In Belgium, the city of Maaseik, has banned burkas but there is no general prohibition across the country.

In France, a ban on Muslim head scarves and other religious symbols in state schools was introduced in 2004, after it had been authorized since 1989, where 8% of the population are Muslims.. The French have always seen national identity as a unifying force. For them, the nation's strength has in its ability to absorb outsiders and make them French.

In Germany, teachers in public schools are banned from wearing head scarves, but there is no burka ban.

In Italy, the Parliament recently approved anti-terrorist laws, that make it an offence for someone to hide their features from the public. The government has said it would draft legislation that would ban veils that cover the face.

In Canada, Prof. Patrick Weil from the University of Toronto, believes that a law to ban religious symbols in schools was unnecessary. Canadian have promoted pluralism, wearing their cultural differences as a badge of honour. Muslims make up about 2% of the Canadian population.

Hijab is a tighly worn scarf that covers the head and neck, but not the face. It is the most common head covering.

Chador is an all-enveloping black garment that leaves only the face uncovered. It was also used by Hindus and Persian Christians hundreds of years ago.

Niqab is a veil that covers the face, leaving only the eyes exposed; worn with a long shapeless gown called jilbab.

Burka is a full body garment that leaves only a grill for seeing. While its use is not mandatory in Afghanistan anymore, it is still widely used there.

Women have the right to dress as they please - but the rights of the individual have to be balanced by the rights of the society. The founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress mentioned, "A veil over the face will close the doors to professions where face-to-face human interactions is absolutely essential - a police officer, a physician, a nurse, a school teacher, an airline pilot, a judge, a lawyer, a bank clerk, an office receptionist, or even a store clerk. The Islamists who are pushing the veil are not fighting discrimination or solving problems. They are making it more difficult for us to progress. A bright and prosperous future for Muslims in Canada can best be ensured when we are seen as fully integrated into the fabric of Canadian society. That does not mean giving up any part of our faith, which is constitutionally guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But it does mean that Islam must not be used as a tool to score political points for the Islamic agenda." He noted also that last November, a jewel store robbery in Toronto was carried out by a man dressed in a burka, feeding into the security arguments for legislation on the clothing.

A Multicultural society can be an open, friendly dialogue between Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, etc. In the extended festive season of Christmas, Eid ul-Adha, Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, Oshogatsu, Guru Gobind Singh's birthday, and Makar Sankranti, we have to say that we respect someone else's religion in a multicultural society. In a free country: freedom of religion and freedom of expression are two sides of the same coin.

Religious views and beliefs vary greatly by country. The British political writer, Dr. Timothy Garton Ash, the professor of European studies at Oxford University mentioned that, "According to a recent Harris opinion poll for the Financial Times, only a third of the people in Britain say they are a believer. In France, it is less than 1 in 3, even in Italy it is less than two thirds. Only in the United States does the figure exceed three quarters." The poll also showed that while just one in 10 French adults believe children should be allowed to wear religious signs or articles of clothing at school, more than three-quarters (77%) of Americans believe that this should be allowed. Among other European adults, Italians (61%) are significantly more likely than British (48%), German (40%) or Spanish (44%) adults to agree that children should be allowed to wear religious signs or articles of clothing. Interestingly, the poll showed that Americans are most likely among the five Western countries surveyed, stated that Islamic women should have the right to wear the Islamic veils if they wish to do so (59%) (Source: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/allnewsbydate.asp?NewsID=1131).

The Ambassadors Research Foundation and Magazine are convinced that the MULTICULTURALISM model has to be considered worldwide, at all levels of society, starting at the elementary school level. Mass education, especially at a young age, on the need to respect different cultures, ethnicities and religions is essential to the development of a healthy and peaceful world. We have to be convinced that wearing the hijab veil may be an expression of religious identity among Muslims. Applying methods such as interfaith dialogue is definitely a beneficial strategy to break the rising Islamophobia in the West and help Muslims develop a better understanding of Western cultures. The world needs more lectures on tolerance, not simply on history, philosophy and theology. Some look at the niqab and burka as a deliberate rejection of Western norms to crystallize the issue of Islamic separateness and argue that it is as much a political symbol rather than a religious one alone. Some critics have argued that those wishing to wear the niqab or burqa should return to their ancestral homelands. This is very disappointing. Instead their choices must be respected and their functional integration in their new communities should be a priority. Today there are millions of Muslims residing in the West and have become part of the fabric of their new societies without sacrificing their traditions in the process. It is the job of accomplished Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders, such as Dr. Hathout and others, to help all Muslims enjoy the benefits of reconciliation and coexistence.