|
Detroit Free Press – Oct. 22, 2006
Veil costs her claim in court
BY ZACHARY GORCHOW
Ginnnah Muhammad of Detroit criticized Hamtramck Judge Paul Paruk: "I didn't feel like the court recognized me as a person that needed justice."
Ginnnah Muhammad of Detroit was looking for her day in court.
Instead, she said she felt as if a judge forced her to choose between her case and her religion in a small-claims dispute in Hamtramck District Court.
A devout Muslim, she wore a niqab -- a scarf and veil to cover her face and head except for her eyes -- Oct. 11 as she contested a rental car company's charging her $2,750 to repair a vehicle after thieves broke into it.
Judge Paul Paruk said he needed to see her face to judge her truthfulness and gave Muhammad, 42, a choice: take off the veil when testifying or the case would be dismissed. She kept the veil on.
"I just feel so sad," Muhammad said last week. "I feel that the court is there for justice for us. I didn't feel like the court recognized me as a person that needed justice. I just feel I can't trust the court."
The wearing of a niqab has spurred increasing debate, particularly in Europe. In 2004, France banned the wearing of it and other religious symbols in public schools.
This month, former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, still a member of parliament, ignited a fierce debate over the niqab by suggesting that Muslim women in his district remove their veils when they visit his office. He said it would improve communication, calling the veil "a visible statement of separation and of difference."
It has sparked controversy in the United States as well. A Muslim woman from Florida unsuccessfully went to court in an effort to overturn the state's order in 2001 that she reveal her face for her driver's license photo.
In metro Detroit, which has one of the country's largest Muslim populations, a small minority of Muslim women -- primarily those of Yemeni descent -- wear the niqab, said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. . .
Walid said Paruk still violated Muhammad's civil rights.
"Although a niqab is donned by a minority of Muslim females, it is still a bona fide religious practice," he said…..
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061022/NEWS02/610220597
Detroit Free Press - October 21, 2006
Head-covering scarf is a symbol of faith
By Patricia Montemurri
More American women who follow the Muslim faith are wearing a hijab, the head-covering scarf that publicly identifies them as a follower of Islam. The hijab can be just a square of cloth, folded in half and pinned under a woman's chin. Or some hijabs are custom-made, lightweight gear in which a premade opening is fashioned to snuggly frame the woman's face and cover her hair, neck and shoulders.
The hijab is a symbol of a Muslim woman's faith and modesty. Thousands of Muslim women in Michigan wear a hijab (pronounced hee-JAHB) in public. Hijabs vary in color, cut and fabric, and women can treat them as fashion accessories to coordinate with their outfits.
This week, Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which will mark the end of the Ramadan fast. The Eid festivities bring together families and communities for celebration, and it's not unusual to buy outfits and matching hijabs for the get-togethers.
While some non-Muslims may consider the hijab a symbol of female oppression and second-class status, Muslim women say it was a choice they made to renew their relationship with God, and identify with their faith rather than stereotypes. Hijabis -- as women who cover their hair call themselves -- say they aim to strengthen their faith and challenge stereotypes about Muslims reignited in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
A 2003 University of Michigan survey of Detroit-area Muslim Arabs found that 42% felt their religion was not respected by mainstream society, with Muslim women more likely than men to share that view. Muslim women -- who come from various ethnic backgrounds -- aim to command respect for their faith by wearing the hijab, says professor Rabab Abdulhadi, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
"The majority of the women who have chosen to wear the hijab chose it by themselves. They didn't grow up with it," the professor says. "It is an assertion of identity ... a sign of distinction and definition, and sometimes a sign of defiance." …….
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006610220306
Globe and Mail Commentary – October 19, 2006
No veiled threat
The niqab is not for everyone, I took it off after an hour,
but those who choose to wear it should be respected
By Seema Khan
Last week, I stopped at a local mosque to offer my sunset prayers before heading off to a restaurant for an iftar dinner with friends (iftar is the meal for breaking the daylong fast during the month of Ramadan). I met a pleasant young woman, who had removed her niqab (face veil) in the privacy of the women's section. She was gracious to all, offering dates and milk to break the fast. Her demeanour exuded a generous spirituality. While we spoke, she gently exhorted her children to stop running, restraining her exasperation when they disobeyed. What mother hasn't gone through the same?
At the restaurant, a niqabi woman came up to me whom I did not recognize at first. Her eyes glistened with familiarity. "Assalaamu alaikum, Sheema. I see you more often on TV than in person," she joked. I immediately recognized her voice. We had first met 15 years ago and had struck an instant friendship. Life had taken us in different directions; now we were both married with kids. She had memorized the entire Koran during that time, and was now teaching women and children to do the same. I felt humbled in the presence of her knowledge.
I respect women who wear the niqab. At Harvard, after much spiritual reflection, I donned the hijab (headscarf) and also tried the niqab -- for all of one hour. I found it stifling and unnatural. Yet others don't. And their choice should be respected. In some places, women are forced by the state to cover up. In other places, some have exercised their own choice to do so. At a recent scientific conference in Dubai, I met intelligent, assertive niqabis who discussed current research with both genders. What is the big deal?
The niqab has been in the news recently, often in the most unflattering terms. These new WMDs (women in Muslim dress) seem to evoke the same fear once reserved for real WMDs (weapons of mass destruction). The most vocal critics are European men in positions of power, with feminists being equally vocal or mute. Few have taken the time to understand the issue from veiled women themselves.
Sheema Khan is the former board chair of CAIR-CAN.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061019.wxcoveil19/BNStory/specialComment/home
|
