20 October,2010 08:48 AM IST | | Nuzhat Aziz
We will ban the burqa. Readily. And when we do it we will also list out a number of villages, towns and smaller states where women cover their heads and faces (ghunghat) because they are being respectful in front of their elders. Because in doing so, they are being traditional and adhering to their customs.
However, since we cannot see their faces, there is a possibility that someone is hiding behind the veil or could be involved in anti-social activities. Fair enough?
It is unconstitutional for political parties to stop or ban certain customary ideals that a community follows
So what is the problem if a section of Muslims decide to cover their faces or heads and wear a burqa and hijab?
And here I want to clarify myself. I do not believe in the custom of covering myself in a burqa.
I strongly feel that if a woman has to keep herself covered to stop men from lusting at her, then men should also be asked to cover themselves so that they cannot see the women.
However, this does not give the right to any political party to stop certain customary ideals that a community follows.
Incidentally, the party has decided to ban the burqa after a recent incident of a burqa-clad woman stealing a two-month-old child from a municipal hospital in Mumbai. The interesting question to ask here is, how is it proven that the alleged woman was a Muslim and was donning the burqa not as a camouflage but because her religion asked her to do so?
We are asked to ban Rohinton Mistry's book Such a Long Journey and we do it without batting an eyelid. Then we are asked to ban the burqa. What next?
If diktats continue to be sent out like this, it will not be long before a section of the community (read Muslims) will feel isolated, yet again.
The hopes of being a part of the country will get shattered with decisions being divided into three parts and people being wooed only for vote banks. Need some cheering here to pep us up once again.
