Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/589122
4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2015 News Minister insists burqa, niqab ban no threat to religious freedom TIM DIACONO BANNING Muslim women from wearing the burqa and niqab in public will not impinge on their rights to religious expression, the civil liberties minister has insisted. "There are several thousands of Muslims in Malta, and many have been here for a long time, even gen- erations," Helena Dalli told Mal- taToday. "The burka and the niqab are not garments that one would associate with this community, so a clearer ban on face coverings should carry no impact on the vast major- ity of Muslims in any way." Although quite simplistic in its generalization of Muslims as a sin- gle 'community', Dalli's general ar- gument is a common one espoused by anti-burqas advocates. The gist of it is that whole-body garments that conceal the face pose as much of a security risk as head- gear such as balaclavas. In Malta's case, the Criminal Code already forbids people from "wear- ing masks or disguising themselves" in public spaces "except at the time and in the manner allowed by the law". However, a police circular issued by the Attorney General on Febru- ary 2013 insisted that "there is no provision within Maltese law that prohibits the wearing of the burqa". Distancing her government away from that police circular, Dalli ar- gued that police action against the burqa and the niqab was curbed "during the last few weeks of the previous administration". "In view of this circumstance, I believe that the law needs to be clarified so as to provide for legal certainty for all face coverings, as is right in an open society," she said. This argument has also been sounded from the Opposition benches, with shadow minister Jas- on Azzopardi warning that full-face veils could serve as a perfect cover to terrorists. "In view of what is happening around us, tragedies did occur abroad by men or women wear- ing burqas hiding explosives," he said, ostensibly referring to recent Islamic State attacks. "Who is able to give a guarantee that it is impos- sible to happen closer to home, God forbid?" However, the use of isolated at- tacks to justify such a blanket prohibition of cultural expression could prove controversial amongst Muslim communities who, in their everyday lives, do not see any con- nection between the veil and terror- ism. Indeed Laiq Ahmed Atif, president of the Maltese Ahmadiyya Muslim community, has pointed out that most extremist attacks are not car- ried out by people wearing a veil. "For security reasons, the civil authorities have both the right and the duty to check the identification of the person wearing a veil, and in- deed Muslim women should abide by any security instructions issued and are duty bound to willingly identify themselves," he wrote in a September blog post. "This is also their religious duty: to cooperate with the civil authorities and to as- sist them in maintaining peace and security within a country". Despite being an outspoken advo- cate for integration, Dalli dismissed suggestions that any perceived fear posed by Islamic veils would be best countered through an educational campaign. "I don't see why this form of dress should merit a dedicated education- al campaign, when it is against the law of the land," she said. "I believe instead that we should all strive to build an open society, where reli- gious freedom is celebrated, and where we are all able to express our individual beliefs in full respect of the law. "With regards Islamophobia or xenophobia, we definitely need to do more to ensure that people un- derstand the 'other' more and to differentiate between the religion that many amongst us have prac- tices peacefully over the years, and the attacks carried out by terrorist organisations under the claim that their actions represent Islam. "We do not have any religious ten- sions in this country and we should aim to keep it that way." Do people have a right to cover their faces? Should Malta decide to clarify this dubious law, it would become the third European country to apply a nation-wide ban on people from wearing the burqa and the niqab in public spaces, following in the foot- steps of France and Belgium. Cul- tural advocates for the burqa and the niqab have argued that strands of Islam require women to wear a full-face veil as a gesture of modesty and piety. "The requirement of using a veil is not intended to imprison a woman or render her susceptible to male dominance," Atif writes. "Rather, it is intended to enhance her God- given faculties." In a recent landmark case, an un- named 24-year-old French citizen of Pakistani origin took her govern- ment to the European Court of Hu- man Rights to contest its decision to ban the burqa. However, judges at the Strasbourg court stood by France's decision, arguing that it "encourages citizens to live togeth- er". tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt Muslim women all over the world wear headscarves, some to cover their head and hair, others wear a burqa or niqab, which also covers their face. Others opt to wear no veil. But within Islam, there is disagreement about whether the veil is necessary. Historically, face veiling was practiced by many cultures before Islam, including Christians, and scholars say Muslims adopted the practice to fit in with these societies. While parts of the Muslim world view headscarves as a sign of modesty and a symbol of religious faith, to many others within and outside Islam, the burqa and the niqab are seen as symbols of oppression and separation. A study carried out last year by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research showed that the burqa has little to no support in Muslim coun- tries, with the vast majority be- lieving women should only cov- er their hair and not their faces. Only in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia did most people surveyed consider the niqab the most appropriate form of attire. The burqa was favoured by only 11% of Saudis. In Lebanon, Tunisia, and Tur- key, where people tend to be less conservative than the more conservative Gulf states, wom- en prefer to wear less restrictive headscarves or no veil at all. In Lebanon almost half the women considered an uncov- ered head to be most appropri- ate while Tunisia and Turkey were the only Muslim nations where more than half of those surveyed believe dress should be a woman's personal choice. Check out our guide to the different veils to help identif y which is which. Hijab The most common type of headscarf worn by Muslim women in the West, the hi- jab is a headscarf that covers the head and neck, but leaves the face clear. They come in many styles and colours and are often colour-coordinated with women's outfits. Chador The chador is a body-length outer garment, usually black in colour, worn mainly by Iranian and Shia women. It is not secured at the front by buttons or clasps and is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath. Niqab The niqab is a veil that only leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompa- nying headscarf. It is most often worn in Arab Gulf countries, but an increas- ing number of Muslim women in the west are now wearing it. Al-Amira The al-amira is a two- piece veil made up of a close fitting cap, usu- ally made from cotton or polyester, and a tube-like scarf. Burqa The terms niqab and burqa are often incorrectly used interchangeably; a niqab covers the face while a burqa is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through. Malta's Criminal Code forbids people from "wearing masks or disguising themselves" in public spaces "except at the time and in the manner allowed by the law" What is a burqa?