By Nikhat Kazmi
Tuesday June 23, 2009
Should Mr Sarkozy ban the burqa from France? Definitely not. Because bans are undemocratic and an unqualified attack on individual freedom. Should we however use this opportunity to question the efficacy of the burqa, the chador, the veil or what you will? Definitely yes. Specially since the burqa isn't just another piece of cloth but has a lot of ideological and cultural connotations to it. The French President himself has termed it a symbol of subservience which has no place in a secular state.
Doesn't it have religious connotations, you may also ask? But hey, just let's keep religion out of this. Primarily because, as scholars point out, the Quran makes a mention of modesty rather than the word 'burqa' when it comes to women's apparel. The veil has more a cultural significance in Islam than a theological one. The Quran categorically mentions that "the best garment is the garment of righteousness." (7:26) And righteousness may or may not be interpreted as the burqa, depending on the personal choice of the person.
Talking specifically of a dress code, the text holds 'chastity' as mandatory, both for men and for women. A translation of the verses by Dr Rashad Khalifa's states: "Tell the believeing men they shall subdue their eyes (and not stare at the women), and maintain their chastity. And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes and maintain their chastity."
http://newageislam.com/don-t-ban-the-burqa,-question-it--/islam,-women-and-feminism/d/1496
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