I noticed in the news yesterday that France had voted to ban the burka in public buildings and on public transport. Then today the BBC is running a piece saying should it be banned over here. My initial reaction was that this is wrong. I like to respect other people’s religious views. But then I started thinking about it a little bit more. If the issue was female circumcision then I would be wholly against it since it has less to do with religion and more to do with male dominance over and subjugation of women. So should I feel the same about the burka?
Since I decided to write about this issue, I thought I’d better read the pieces on the BBC website about it. And I immediately learnt that there is a difference between what I think of when I think of the burka and what is actually worn. The covering of the whole body except the hands and face is known as hijab, whereas the cloth covering the face is a niqab. I have no issue with what people wear, but any issues I may have are with the niqab. Interestingly, the BBC piece explains that the majority of scholars argue that the Qur’an does not indicate that the wearing of the niqab is obligatory, although there are a handful that point to one or two verses that they say support their argument. These, however, appear to be ambiguous. In particular the case for it not being obligatory is that one hadith (a narration on the Qur’an) says that covering the face is prohibited during daily prayers.
So in summary most people believe that the niqab is not obligatory. However, some believe it is, and if that is the case I am back to whether we should prevent them wearing it. To my mind, I feel it depends why they are wearing it. If it is their own free choice then I believe they should be allowed to. However, although I suspect that in some cases it is not of their own free choice, the problem is that we cannot tell one from the other.
On balance, therefore, I am tending against a ban based on freedom of choice.
If you want to see the BBC’s explanation then it is here.
In terms of what has been happening here, the answer is not much. Yet another grey day. Both dogs were very good on their walk this morning, although Chris has taken them up the Delph so no doubt I’ll soon get a phone call saying Jez has done a runner. Max’s leg seems to be healing nicely, so fingers crossed. Jez though has had a small lump on her side that looks a bit like a bite for over a week now. She managed to knock it and make it bleed today. We’re not sure what it is, but are keeping an eye on it. If it gets worse we’ll have to get her to the vet (more expense).
Still on the subject of Jez, we don’t know what to do about her leg. She races around and jumps about and it doesn’t seem to bother her at all, until she stops: at which point she shifts her weight to the other leg and occasionally holds her bad leg up slightly. It’s been a lot worse since the vet tried manipulating it last week. She has a physio session next week, and I’m planning on ringing her orthopaedic vet as well. We’ve thought for a long time that it’s a muscular hangover from the cruciate strain, but it’s going on a long time. And her own vet through there was a very slight amount of tibial thrust (indicating there is still a problem with the cruciate). He’s been wrong before on that score though. And she’s sitting square on a lot more, which she wouldn’t do if she had cruciate problems as it puts pressure on the knee. However, we all agree that unless it’s imperative we do not want to put her through a major operation.
I’ve been doing my pilates. The reason I’ve taken it up again is because the doctor I saw at the hospital said I should. I’ve been having physio for my back and leg (the L5 nerve is pinched) since August and it hasn’t been getting any better. I think the Physio expected the hospital to give me an MRI scan. Instead the doctor asked me lots of questions, pushed and pulled me in all sorts of directions, and declared that I had a prolapsed (slipped) disc. Apparently I could have an injection but it’s only temporary. Strengthening my core muscles is the key, to hold it all in place. I don’t know what I did today though, but my back and leg really started to hurt in the middle of my routine. I had to stop doing some of my leg stretches. Let’s hope it’s nothing too permanent.
Well, Jez must have been good, Chris is back – and NO PHONE CALL!
Chris will be watching footie again tonight – big Manchester derby game. So I need to hunt round for something to watch. I want to see the first one of a series of 3 on Africa’s Great Rift Valley. As the Cradle of Man, it is somewhere that has always fascinated me. And, of course, I’ve been there. It’s only a short programme, so I’m not sure what else I’ll find to watch – TV has been total rubbish of late.
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