Veiled Muslim Woman to Deliver ‘Christmas Message’
Tuesday, 12 December 2006
LONDON
Tuesday, 12 December 2006
LONDON
A UK television channel invited a veiled Muslim woman to deliver its alternative Christmas message. The 10-minute broadcast on Channel 4 will be delivered by Khadija, a lecturer in Islamic Studies from the Midlands who has been wearing the niqab, for ten years, the TV channel said in a statement.
The Christmas message will be shown on Dec. 25 when Queen Elizabeth II broadcasts her annual message to the nation in which she reflects on events over the past year. Khadija’s appearance on Channel 4 comes after months of heated debate in Britain over the right of Muslim women to wear the full-face veil, and recent disputes over British Airways’ decision to ban staff from displaying crucifixes.
A spokesman for Channel 4 said: “The right to wear religious symbols from Niqabs to crucifixes, remarks made by the Pope about Islam and the publication of Danish cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) have all generated a debate about multiculturalism, secularism and integration, a debate in which British Muslims have played a key role and one that will shape the future of British society. “Therefore, we believed it was fitting this year the message should be given by a British Muslim woman.”
Khadija was found by production company Chameleon after a month-long search among Muslim communities. The company and Channel 4 didn’t provide full details on her, only saying she was in her 30s, born in Zimbabwe and had been living in Britain for about 20 years. They also said that 25th December is her 15th wedding anniversary.
Channel 4 said they decided not to disclose more information because Khadija was reluctant to talk to the media ahead of her message and was a “very modest, very unassuming woman”.
A spokesman also said she was “articulate and interesting”.
The niqab involves covering the face completely, leaving just a slit for the eyes. It’s different from the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, which is obligatory in Islam and is meant to cover a Muslim woman’s hair, neck, throat and the upper part of her chest to protect her from the eyes of men outside her family.
In October, Jack Straw, the leader of the House of Commons, angered the British Muslim community when he described the niqab as a “visible statement of separation” and revealed that he asks Muslim women visiting his office to remove their veils.
Other ministers backed Straw’s views, including Prime Minister Tony Blair who said that veiled women make others feel “uncomfortable”.
Trevor Phillips, the head of Britain’s race relations watchdog, the Commission for Racial Equality, warned at the time that the debate was growing ugly. He said Britons were becoming increasingly polarized along racial and religious lines, and risk fueling unrest if they don’t discuss their differences respectfully.
Im sure they will find another one.