WE DON'T DO GENDER APARTHEID HERE

I talked to the Refugee and his wife last night. She is a hijab wearer. He doesn’t think it’s necessary but doesn’t interfere with her decision which is in respect of her religion. They had read my Burqas on Buses post. They had some thoughts. Interesting enough, I thought, for a follow up post. Their thoughts paraphrased by me are as follows.

Burqas are silly and not worth discussing. Niqab obscures peripheral vision. Women wearing Niqab should not drive on the basis that they cannot see properly and would be a danger to themselves and others. Niqab wearing women are not suitable candidates for many jobs on the same basis. Niqab wearing women cannot expect to be included in New Zealand society if they choose to wear a garment that is designed to separate them from society. The Refugee thought it was cheeky of the Saudis to approach our government on the issue when in Saudi Arabia, New Zealand women almost certainly wouldn't be allowed on a bus and could be in trouble for wearing shorts in 40 degree heat. A woman can be flogged in Iran for failing to cover her hair in public, not merely rejected by a bus driver. Burqa and Niqab enable and enforce gender apartheid. New Zealand doesn’t practice gender apartheid. Niqab and burqa flout the letter of New Zealand law with regard to courtroom appearances, banks and other secure forums. And, they certainly flout the spirit of New Zealand’s human rights legislation. The Refugee's family know that New Zealand was the first country to adopt universal suffrage. I had told the children about Kate Sheppard when I was in Lebanon and given them a ten dollar note to keep. The Refugee's wife brought it up. "They should respect your heroine", she said. Fair enough, I replied.

BURQAS ON BUSES

New Zealanders don’t know a burqa from niqab and hijab. A burqa covers the whole body, Afghani style. Niqab is the eye slit jobby and hijab covers only the hair and neck. I have worn hijab myself along with jeans and an ordinary shirt. It’s no different than a light hat and scarf. Young Palestinian girls dressed me up in it for a bit of fun and I wanted to know what it felt like. I wore it round for half a day in the refugee camp where I was staying. It certainly blended you into the crowd and it was not uncomfortable. I went jogging first, then walked down to the beach and visited the graveyard near the beach. Nobody took a blind bit of notice of me. That had not been the case the day before, when I wandered around the camp without Hijab. The camp has a population of around 30,000. You can’t get in without a permit. The Lebanese army guard the entrance at an initial checkpoint. The PLA guard a secondary checkpoint. Everyone knows everyone, at least by sight. Without Hijab I was a stranger and was immediately recognised as such. Hijab gave me anonymity. It can look very pretty. I attended a wedding near Tripoli in Northern Lebanon – not Tripoli in Libya. The women looked fabulous. Palestinians take wedding cakes very seriously – see the photo. I was told the Quran directs that men and women dress modestly. They told me there was nothing in the Quran that dictated burqa or niqab. And, I never saw anyone in Lebanon wearing niqab or burqa. We do not ordinarily allow people here to enter banks, courts and various other forums with their faces covered, and quite rightly too. If I went to Saudi Arabia (friend of the US) or Iran (enemy of the US) I would have to wear what their law directs on pain of serious punishment. I recommend that Muslim women here respect our law and our culture. Hijab is quite enough. It identifies you as Muslim, it is modest and it adequately fulfils any constraints that might be inferred from the direction of the Quran.