Shopping in Harrods last week, I came across a group of women wearing black burkhas, browsing the latest designs in the fashion department.

The irony of the situation was almost laughable. Here was a group of affluent women window shopping for designs that they would never once be able to wear in public.

Yet it's a sight that's becoming more and more commonplace. In hardline Muslim communities right across Britain, the burkha and hijab - the Muslim headscarf - are becoming the norm.


Saira Khan, runner up in the first series of The Apprentice, believes the burkha is an oppressive tool and says it is time to ban it from the streets of Britain

In the predominantly Muslim enclaves of Derby near my childhood home, you now see women hidden behind the full-length robe, their faces completely shielded from view. In London, I see an increasing number of young girls, aged four and five, being made to wear the hijab to school.

Shockingly, the Dickensian bone disease rickets has reemerged in the British Muslim community because women are not getting enough vital vitamin D from sunlight because they are being consigned to life under a shroud.

Thanks to fundamentalist Muslims and 'hate' preachers working in Britain, the veiling of women is suddenly all-pervasive and promoted as a basic religious right. We are led to believe that we must live with this in the name of 'tolerance'.

'The veil is a tool of oppression used to alienate and control women under the guise of religious freedom'


And yet, as a British Muslim woman, I abhor the practice and am calling on the Government to follow the lead of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and ban the burkha in our country.

The veil is simply a tool of oppression which is being used to alienate and control women under the guise of religious freedom.

My parents moved here from Kashmir in the 1960s. They brought with them their faith and their traditions - but they also understood that they were starting a new life in a country where Islam was not the main religion.

My mother has always worn traditional Kashmiri clothes - the salwar kameez, a long tunic worn over trousers, and the chador, which is like a pashmina worn around the neck or over the hair.

When she found work in England, she adapted her dress without making a fuss. She is still very much a traditional Muslim woman, but she swims in a normal swimming costume and jogs in a tracksuit.

I was born in this country, and my parents' greatest desire for me was that I would integrate and take advantage of the British education system.


East meets West: A pair of women walk down the high street in Birmingham in full Muslim dress

They wanted me to make friends at school, and be able to take part in PE lessons - not feel alienated and cut off from my peers. So at home, I wore the salwar kameez, while at school I wore a wore a typical English school uniform.

Now, to some fundamentalists, that made us not proper Muslims. Really?

I have read the Koran. Nowhere in the Koran does it state that a woman's face and body must be covered in a layer of heavy black cloth. Instead, Muslim women should dress modestly, covering their arms and legs.

Many of my adult British Muslim friends cover their heads with a headscarf - and I have no problem with that.

The burkha is an entirely different matter. It is an imported Saudi Arabian tradition, and the growing number of women veiling their faces in Britain is a sign of creeping radicalisation, which is not just regressive, it is oppressive and downright dangerous.

The burkha is an extreme practice. It is never right for a woman to hide behind a veil and shut herself off from people in the community. But it is particularly wrong in Britain, where it is alien to the mainstream culture for someone to walk around wearing a mask.

'Nowhere in the Koran does it state that a woman's face and body must be covered in a layer of heavy black cloth'


The veil restricts women. It stops them achieving their full potential in all areas of their life, and it stops them communicating. It sends out a clear message: 'I do not want to be part of your society.'

Every time the burkha is debated, Muslim fundamentalists bring out all these women who say: 'It's my choice to wear this.'

Perhaps so - but what pressures have been brought to bear on them? The reality, surely, is that a lot of women are not free to choose.

Girls as young as four are wearing the hijab to school: that is not a freely made choice. It stops them taking part in education and reaching their potential, and the idea that tiny children need to protect their modesty is abhorrent.

And behind the closed doors of some Muslim houses, countless young women are told to wear the hijab and the veil. These are the girls who are hidden away, they are not allowed to go to university or choose who they marry. In many cases, they are kept down by the threat of violence.

The burkha is the ultimate visual symbol of female oppression. It is the weapon of radical Muslim men who want to see Sharia law on Britain's streets, and would love women to be hidden, unseen and unheard. It is totally out of place in a civilised country.

Precisely because it is impossible to distinguish between the woman who is choosing to wear a burkha and the girl who has been forced to cover herself and live behind a veil, I believe it should be banned.



President Sarkozy is absolutely right to say: 'If you want to live here, live like us.'

He went on to say that the burkha is not a religious sign, 'it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement,  In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity.'

So what should we do in Britain? For decades, Muslim fundamentalists, using the human rights laws, have been allowed to get their own way.

It is time for ministers and ordinary British Muslims to say, 'Enough is enough'. For the sake of women and children, the Government must ban the wearing of the hijab in school and the burkha in public places.

To do so is not racist, as extremists would have us believe. After all, when I go to Pakistan or Middle Eastern countries, I respect the way they live.

Two years ago, I wore a burkha for the first time for a television programme. It was the most horrid experience. It restricted the way I walked, what I saw, and how I interacted with the world.

It took away my personality. I felt alienated and like a freak. It was hot and uncomfortable, and I was unable to see behind me, exchange a smile with people, or shake hands.

If I had been forced to wear a veil, I would certainly not be free to write this article. Nor would I have run a marathon, become an aerobics teacher or set up a business.

We must unite against the radical Muslim men who love to control women.

My message to those Muslims who want to live in a Talibanised society, and turn their face against Britain, is this: 'If you don't like living here and don't want to integrate, then what the hell are you doing here? Why don't you just go and live in an Islamic country?'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1195052/Why-I-British-Muslim-woman-want-burkha-banned-streets.html#ixzz1cdpr7ngz

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The woman beats you hands down in intelligence.

You cannot fight her logic, so why not do what muslims do best, change the subject.

Muhahaha

Peace Brov.

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And behind the closed doors of some Muslim houses, countless young women are told to wear the hijab and the veil. These are the girls who are hidden away

hmm, well as deols has shown us, wearing hijab doesnt disturb your access to the internet.

so, wear hijab outside, check out funky okijas inside.

tpia@:


hmm, well as deols has shown us, wearing hijab doesnt disturb your access to the internet.

so, wear hijab outside, check out funky okijas inside.

thought u were grown up sha

@op, is ds all u cld come up wv? a random person talks and just because it is antiIslam u are so happy! highly delusional folk

^^^

Whatever rocks your boat.

So many Somalia girls do not bother with the Hijab and so do many others including Arabs. Mostly Pakistanis and West Africans still adhere to the Hijab way of dressing.

While I respect your decision to wear it , if I was an employer, there is no way you will be employed. It is madness , shutting yourself from society and demanding respect from that same society.

feminists are working day and night to attain gender equality. But u know wat, dey end up making women tools, for men's enjoyment.

On d oda hand Islam gives a woman an opportunity to av control over herself. I enjoy dat.

I tell u many of d people after me just want to know wats incredibly behind those coverings- I enjy dat too

I love labels, just so u know But i dont compulsory av to wear them- afterall, not much of it is seen- dat helps me live a modest life(i dont go beyond my means)

people respect me everywhere I go- somehow, dey just cant talk to u anyhow. Even Coogar claims he wldnt strike a conversation due to his not always modest intentions.

Add to ds is d feeling that u'r doing wat is right!- wat ur lord wants, something u'll get rewards for. *doesnt dat sound sweet?

dey just cant talk to u anyhow

sweetie, not wearing a hijab doesnt mean men will talk to you anyhow.

it depends on the woman herself- most times the tuface types wont even bother themselves with you because they can tell who isnt their type.

the males can also tell who IS their type regardless if you're wearing five hijabs. Somebody who will talk anyhow will do so if he wants to.

just saying.

doesnt mean you shouldnt wear hijab oh- na my own i dey yarn.

some girls need self esteem boost to wear hijab.

d same *civilisation mentality keeping frosbel from practicing the doctrines of d bible is wat is keepn dem away. I hope Allah helps dem.

@Frosbel and Tpia and the other enemies of Allah; Hijab is a commandment. If a woman wears if, she receives the rewards. If she doesn't she does not have the rewards of wearing it.

No one says fashion dies because you wear Hijab. Again, it is an outermost or outer garment. This is for Allah because of commandment from Him.

The under the Hijab garments, is the woman's; it could be whatever she wants. Alot, a little or not even up to a little.

No one says that a wife can't wear the latest fashion under it, or if at home in the presence of her 'can see her without the covering" some funky fashion.

Imagine what women wear under their burkha, is like the undergarments of either men or women. These you don't wear out without covering them unless your shame and or morality are or is misplaced. Every woman knows what she can handle. I will not be concerned with what a burkha wearer is wearing. Thats her choice of how far and strongly she takes religious issues.

Their perception is similar to a guy who refuses to ride the elevator because of 'elevator music' while others do not care about music being played.

Sweetnecta:

@Frosbel and Tpia and the other enemies of Allah;

If ALLAH is GOD then I am not his enemy , in fact without him what can I do, 

Hijab is a commandment. If a woman wears if, she receives the rewards. If she doesn't she does not have the rewards of wearing it.

Hijab is not in the Quran.

But since you do not think the Hadiths are valid, please do not quote them to avoid further embarrassment , because any source you quote other than the Quran must be right on all other questionable issues.

The under the Hijab garments, is the woman's; it could be whatever she wants. Alot, a little or not even up to a little.

who cares 

No one says that a wife can't wear the latest fashion under it, or if at home in the presence of her 'can see her without the covering" some funky fashion.

A woman can dress decently without wearing a Ninja like attire.

Imagine what women wear under their burkha, is like the undergarments of either men or women. These you don't wear out without covering them unless your shame and or morality are or is misplaced.

Wow, it appears you lack self control 

Sweetnecta

be careful how you call others enemies of Allah because for all you know, you yourself might be an enemy of Allah.

^^^^^^^^^ Allah is my Lord.

Jesus is your lord. Are you the enemy of your lord, Jesus? But Allah is not your Lord and you do not recognize Him, hence your are His enemy.

Allah being your lord doesnt automatically mean you're not his enemy.

All i'm saying is be careful how you get agitated.

@Frosbel: « #11 on: Yesterday at 09:07:31 PM »
[Quote]Quote from: Sweetnecta on Yesterday at 08:14:59 PM
@Frosbel and Tpia and the other enemies of Allah;

If ALLAH is GOD then I am not his enemy , in fact without him what can I do, Grin[/Quote]You have made smiling almost a thing disliked, because you put it out there, every minute and it seems as if you are faking it. You are not good at pretending that you are enjoying it. The same Allah you insult, every time? You are a witness against yourself.


[Quote]Quote
Hijab is a commandment. If a woman wears if, she receives the rewards. If she doesn't she does not have the rewards of wearing it.

Hijab is not in the Quran.[/Quote]Even in the story of Maryam in Surah Maryam, meeting the Angel [Jibril], Hijab [veil/screen] was mentioned, first, at the end of the menstruation she was about to purify/wash up herself; then comes the angel as a fully formed man; elegant.


[Quote]But since you do not think the Hadiths are valid, please do not quote them to avoid further embarrassment , because any source you quote other than the Quran must be right on all other questionable issues.[/Quote]?


[Quote]Quote
The under the Hijab garments, is the woman's; it could be whatever she wants. Alot, a little or not even up to a little.

who cares  Cheesy

Quote
No one says that a wife can't wear the latest fashion under it, or if at home in the presence of her 'can see her without the covering" some funky fashion.

A woman can dress decently without wearing a Ninja like attire.[/Quote]What you call ninja like is preferred by me, while you love your banana to be already peeled and fly laden, I prefer to peel mine, and its covered intact from others.


[Quote]Quote
Imagine what women wear under their burkha, is like the undergarments of either men or women. These you don't wear out without covering them unless your shame and or morality are or is misplaced.

Wow, it appears you lack self control  Cool[/Quote]Yeah. The lacking of self control, Allah has put it in check for me. Alhamdulillah. You sir, frosbel, when you get turned loose, you run the whole gamut. In Islam, sexuality is not a forbidden thing. But only with your legal partner.


@Tpia@; Are you an enemy of Jesus, your lord?
I am going to make prostration to Allah. See He is not my Enemy and I am not His enemy.

^^that's what you hope, not necessarily what gives.

frosbel:

^^^

Whatever rocks your boat.

So many Somalia girls do not bother with the Hijab and so do many others including Arabs. Mostly Pakistanis and West Africans still adhere to the Hijab way of dressing.

While I respect your decision to wear it , if I was an employer, there is no way you will be employed. It is madness , shutting yourself from society and demanding respect from that same society.

By the grace of Allah I wouldnt be in need of your job and i say it again like I always have dat christians are more intolerant than Muslims. An average christian has behavioral flaws when dealing wv Muslims while an average Muslim so much want you to av a part of the peace Islam preaches.

Remember Pride goes before a fall. U may never even av a job to provide any1. do u av one urself at d moment?

I think there is a lack of understanding of the principles in the western world by westerners. It is the same right that a woman who wears a bikini at the beach claims that Muslim women who wear burkhas claim. Any attempt to control Muslim women is just evidence of the western world's bias against Islam and Muslims.

deols:

By the grace of Allah I wouldnt be in need of your job and i say it again like I always have dat christians are more intolerant than Muslims. An average christian has behavioral flaws when dealing wv Muslims while an average Muslim so much want you to av a part of the peace Islam preaches.

Remember Pride goes before a fall. U may never even av a job to provide any1. do u av one urself at d moment?

I am in a senior position in the IT industry and have been employed for over a decade.

Honestly if you come to me for employment and had a Hijab on , it is a no no.

But if you covered your entire body which even some christians do , If I can at least see your face, I will be very open to an honest assessment of your skills.

I don't want an anonymous soul peering at me through a small window

President Sarkozy is absolutely right to say: 'If you want to live here, live like us.'

He went on to say that the burkha is not a religious sign, 'it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement, In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity.'

So what should we do in Britain? For decades, Muslim fundamentalists, using the human rights laws, have been allowed to get their own way.

It is time for ministers and ordinary British Muslims to say, 'Enough is enough'. For the sake of women and children, the Government must ban the wearing of the hijab in school and the burkha in public places.

To do so is not[b] racist, as extremists would have us believe[/b]. After all, when I go to Pakistan or Middle Eastern countries, I respect the way they live.

This' quit remarkable

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@Tpia@; « #16 on: Today at 03:48:26 AM »
[Quote]^^that's what you hope, not necessarily what gives.[/Quote]Tpia@, aaa ki nmoo Osho ju iya Osho loo.
You can know whats between me and Allah. He is my Cherish Lord. I am His slave servant.
Do you Tpia@ a servant to Jehovah and Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ and then hate any of the 3? If you are, you are not a True, Loyal and sincere servant. You may not be a servant to any of them, at all.

You must not compare your case with mine. I do not know your heart. You definitely do not know mine.

@Frosbel: What logic is there to make a person be disobedient? Since you are a Christian, I take it that the you agree that the atheist beats you in logic, hands down?

@Toba: « #20 on: Today at 11:56:19 AM »
[Quote]Quote

President Sarkozy is absolutely right to say: 'If you want to live here, live like us.'[/Quote]Even if you live like herd of cattle, except you have not started grazing, but the other basic qualities, they exhibit? A soul is not improved but worsen if it adopts filth [nud.ity, etc in this case].



[Quote]He went on to say that the burkha is not a religious sign, 'it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement, In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity.'[/Quote]how does the roving eyes, never saw a skirt he didn't want to get in french man know the bold? so a woman has to be putting 'them' out there, instead of covering them is therefore not a prisoner and not a sexual object as in sex sell?



[Quote]So what should we do in Britain? For decades, Muslim fundamentalists, using the human rights laws, have been allowed to get their own way.

It is time for ministers and ordinary British Muslims to say, 'Enough is enough'. [/b]For the sake of women and children, the Government must ban the wearing of the hijab in school and the burkha in public places.[/Quote]and when the muslims say let them be, then what? burkha today, kimar/hijab to morrow, until the muslim women even abandon prayers, is there an end or satisfaction? muslims have the hypocrites among them, they the hypocrites are in the forefront in enmity to Islam.



[Quote]To do so is not racist, as extremists would have us believe. After all, when I go to Pakistan or Middle Eastern countries, [b]I respect the way they live.[/Quote]did they ever asked you to not wear your jeans, your western identity? but the muslim women identity ranges from head covering to the burkha that you are advocating its banning. Just because you don't wear it and they do for whatever reason, as long as that they have not infringed on your person, why are you so engrossed with their lives?



[Quote]This' quit remarkable Cheesy Wink Smiley[/Quote]a muslim woman will be raised in your home. so what are you gonna do about it when she starts covering up?

Well said. I admire her courage and honesty. I hope Muslim fanatics will not go and kill her. Islam is the biggest threat to itself.

Sweetnecta:


You can know whats between me and Allah. He is my Cherish Lord. I am His slave servant.

well, you have no way of knowing for sure that whatever you're offering is acceptable to him. Do[b] you [/b] dictate the terms, or does he?

a muslim woman will be raised in your home. so what are you gonna do about it when she starts covering up?

how will this be possible when u are brainwashing them not to marry a follower of Isa son of Mary and son of *allah. its just one that meets my target and u ve already told her not to perform. she has held on to her pride  

frosbel:

I am in a senior position in the IT industry and have been employed for over a decade.

Honestly if you come to me for employment and had a Hijab on , it is a no no.

But if you covered your entire body which even some christians do ,[b] If I can at least see your face, [/b]I will be very open to an honest assessment of your skills.

I don't want an anonymous soul peering at me through a small window

I know u ar ignorant of many of the things u talk about. U can wear hijab without covering your face.

hijabites

@Tpia@; « #25 on: Yesterday at 11:14:09 PM »
[Quote]Quote from: Sweetnecta on Yesterday at 12:41:42 PM

You can know whats between me and Allah. He is my Cherish Lord. I am His slave servant.

well, you have no way of knowing for sure that whatever you're offering is acceptable to him. Do you dictate the terms, or does he?[/Quote]The rule of engagement is the Quran. He lays out the course for me to chart. If i do it to the best of my ability, struggling to perfect it, He has made it encumber on Himself to have mercy on me, overlooking my mistakes and wrong doings and imperfection and make me people of Paradise. Now, that is superior Mercy. Your Gods can't do that. Tell me which one can do it and the others are fakes or do you really have 3 Gods that can do the same? List the name or names, aunty.


@toba « #26 on: Yesterday at 11:17:59 PM »
[Quote]Quote
a muslim woman will be raised in your home. so what are you gonna do about it when she starts covering up?
[b]how will this be possible [/b]when u are brainwashing them not to marry a follower of Isa son of Mary and son of *allah. its just one that meets my target and u ve already told her not to perform. she has held on to her pride Undecided[/Quote]He forgets that he has a daughter. Or is he lying about that? or he does not know that she will be a wife to a husband? Muslim husband will get her in whatever land she is; nigeria or somewhere else. Its written Allah, she will tell you, soon.

^If you indeed believe Allah is omnipotent and does as he wills, then you should also believe he reserves the right to consider whatever you're offering, as unacceptable.

Are you saying Allah is subject to you?

Therefore he has no choice than to follow YOUR leading?

.