Am I missing something here, or isn’t this between Aishah Azmi and God?
Words from my children amaze me again. Last week we were talking about this at home and one of the children said ‘Isn’t she just showing that she loves God?’
Does this prevent integration, or is it an attempt to deflect our attention from a certain foreign policy?
The Shiny Headed Prophet 
yes and yes… I suppose, TBH I would be concerned if a Teacher wore one in the class room… if the reason is to prevent objectification wear it outside class if you must, but to say that it does not hinder communication is bizzare. Kids need to be able to read the expressions of a Teacher as much as to hear her voice. Personnally I’m not sure how a teacher can build the relationships needed for optimum education if you can only see her eyes (and only just that). As for the religous dimension, I’m really not sure about that… it seems to me it is not about her relationship with God but about her need to a) protect herself from objectification and/or b) to remove temptation from Muslim Men (either way I can’t see how this is relevant to the class room) so I don’t think it is particularly about expressing love for God per se. Jack Straws comments have been blown out of proportion, what he said was that if a woman came into his surgery he would ask her to remove it… not demand it, and he didn’t say anything about outside of his surgery… for reasons of communication not integration.What worries me about this particular case is a) she went to the interview without the veil… why? Was it because she thought it would hinder her ability to sell her self… ie. to communicate effectively, or was there some plan to provoke a case? and b) the timing of the case!
Yep – as an escaped teacher I agree that children need to see lips, facial expressions and so on.Also I was not aware that she arrived at interview witout the veil – that’s interesting to note.I do still think, though, that although not directly related to faith, that muslim women who choose to wear the veil (rather than requested/told)do so partly to show a level of seriousness to their devotion to Allah.Personally I agree this case looks suspicious re your comments above – but I am nevertheless in agreement with Aishah Azmi in her complaints regarding how many MP’s, since Jack Straw, have put their opinion in.This is not too unlike the government trying to stop young people wearing hoodies. Young people in hoodies were ‘demonised’ for a little while in this country – and I would hate to think the same would happen to Allah loving muslim women.
I agree mate re. the politicians and the media… there has been some serious bandwaggon jumping going on… but I can’t help thinking that somewhere along the line the bandwaggon changed… from one about communication to one about religious/cultural traditions (hence we have had the cross wearing thing brought into it) , Jack Straw is probably down at the bottom of the pile of politicians and commentators screaming…”No thats not what I was on about!”… In terms of the ‘new’ debate about symbols and traditions, I am 100% with you.