Is it time to unmask the muslim woman?

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Ricster

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After reading the article the other day i wondered whether this bus driver was within his right to refuse 2 muslim women access to the bus he was driving because he felt threatened by them. Stereotypical i know, but the man now faces the sack after the incident. I have also put in an article from February where another driver proved to be an inconvinience to passengers, but was dealt with in different circumstances.

Muslim woman wearing veil 'refused bus ride' in London
A woman wearing a niqab The women claim the driver said they were a "threat to him and his passengers"

Two Muslim women have claimed they were refused a bus ride because one had her face covered by a veil.

The students, both 22 and from Slough, Berkshire, boarded a Metroline bus from Russell Square to Paddington, London.

But they said when they presented their tickets on Tuesday, the driver told them they were a "threat" to passengers and ordered them off the bus.

The firm has started an "urgent" investigation. The Muslim Council of Britain said it was "deeply concerned".

The pair, who have made a formal complaint to the bus company, have asked the BBC not to reveal their full names.

Yasmin was wearing a hijab and Atoofa was dressed in a niqab - which covers the face.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

It's OK for you to cover your face on my recording but it not ok for my friend to cover her face out of choice”

End Quote Yasmin

Yasmin said at first she boarded the bus by mistake when it was not in service to ask where it was going, but was told by the driver to get off.

"About 10 minutes later... the passengers started getting on. When I went forward to show my ticket he said, 'Get off the bus'. I presumed he was still angry because I got on the bus before.

"He said, 'I am not going to take you on the bus because you two are a threat.'

"I realised it wasn't due to me getting on the bus, this may be a racist attack."

She asked for his contact details but when he refused she began to film him and he covered his face.

"I said, 'It's OK for you to cover your face on my recording but it's not OK for my friend to cover her face out of choice?'

"There was no point arguing with him, we got off the bus and by then my anger turned into emotion."
Muslim headscarves

The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in a myriad of styles and colours. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.

The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf.

The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through.

The al-amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and an accompanying tube-like scarf.

The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders.

The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear.

The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath.

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However Atoofa, who had her face covered by the veil, said she hoped the driver would be educated about why women wear the traditional Islamic dress, rather than face the sack.

"I would like him to understand why we wear it and I think I would like an apology," she added.

"I want him to sit there and talk to me about why he felt the way he felt and maybe to understand where we are coming from."
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

Such incidents are sadly becoming more common”

End Quote Muslim Council of Britain

A spokesperson from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said it could not comment on individual cases, but added it was "deeply concerned".

"Such incidents are sadly becoming more common," the spokesperson said.

"They have been fuelled against the climate of increasing anti-Muslim rhetoric and hostility, in particular on the part of sensationalised stories by the media, demonising Muslims in the eyes of the wider public."

It advised all victims to report incidents to the police.

Bus operator Metroline said it was taking the matter "very seriously" and would conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations.

"However, Metroline can unequivocally state that such views would not be representative of the company in any way and that we are committed to respecting equality and diversity for all," a spokesman added.

Metroline operates the service on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), which added that it was also investigating.

'Un-British values'

Earlier this month French MPs voted to ban the wearing of full face veils in public.

Several other countries including Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium have debated regulating the use of face covering garments.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said trying to pass a law banning women wearing the Islamic full veil in public would be "un-British" and at odds with the UK's "tolerant and mutually respectful society".

The comments came after Tory MP Philip Hollobone introduced a private members' bill which would make it illegal for people to cover their faces in public.
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Then we have another example of a muslim male, who stopped the bus he was driving so he could pray causing problems for some passengers who had a schedule to go by as they rely on public transport. This man was 'spoken to' by the firm, and didn't face the sack.

Muslim driver halts bus to kneel in aisle and pray
Tim Stewart
08.02.10
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A Muslim bus driver stunned passengers by pulling over to pray while he kept the engine running.

The driver of the No 24 in Gospel Oak stopped without warning, left his cab and rolled out a jacket as an improvised prayer mat in the vehicle's aisle.

Removing his shoes, he knelt to face Mecca and began chanting during a prayer session that held up the bus for more than five minutes.

Passengers were unable to get on or off the vehicle. Mother-of-one Gayle Griffiths complained to Transport for London last week.

Ms Griffiths, 33, an NHS administrator of Camden, said: “I was in a hurry to get home to pick my little girl up from school. We had just let off people at a bus stop and moved off again when the driver stopped the bus very suddenly.

“He got out of his cab, leaving the engine running, and walked towards the middle exit door. He laid out a fluorescent jacket on the floor and I thought that somebody must have been sick and he was covering it up. But then he took off his shoes and began praying.

“I was gobsmacked. He hadn't addressed the passengers or given any kind of explanation. I didn't say anything and nor did anyone else. As the engine was running anyone could also have got in the cab and driven off with a bus full of passengers.

“He was also blocking the exit, so if something had happened we would not have been able to get off. When he had finished, he just got back up and set off again — all without any explanation or apology.”

She added: “We live in a multicultural society but there is a time and a place for prayer and the middle of a journey with a busload of passengers is not it.”

TfL apologised to all those delayed. A spokesman said: “The bus company has had a word with the driver as this is not something that should be happening.”

He said TfL and the bus operators provide suitable prayer or quiet rooms at garages and other key locations.
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Both men have proved an inconvinience to passengers or customers, so why the difference in standards by the companies? This country continues to go to the dogs. Nothing Great about Britain anymore.
 
I went to Turkey a few years ago and didn't see a single woman wearing a burkha. Having said that, I didn't see a single young Turkish woman at all, other than a belly-dancer at our hotel. As for the men, whenever the adhan called out the muezzin they would stop whatever they were doing and head for the nearest mosque - no drama, they just went along in their everyday clothes.

Here, the whole thing has been over-dramatised on both sides of the fence. While I don't live or work near a mosque and so don't see the same thing happening here, I do see plenty of men and women identifying themselves as Muslims by their dress. This is something you didn't see 10-15 years ago and, as I've already alluded to, something that I didn't see at all in a Muslim country.

So the questions are these: Are there simply more Muslims here now? Do Muslims feel than they can wear these clothes now, whereas they didn't feel they could in the past? Or are they simply making a statement?

P.S. There was a similar argument in the early '70s with regard to Sikhs wearing turbans while riding motorbikes. Their religion forbade them to remove their turbans while the law said they had to wear a crash helmet. Clearly they couldn't wear both. This was resolved by giving them an exemption in Section 2A of the Motor-Cycle Crash Helmets (Religious Exemption) Act 1976.
 
BTH said:
I went to Turkey a few years ago and didn't see a single woman wearing a burkha. Having said that, I didn't see a single young Turkish woman at all, other than a belly-dancer at our hotel. As for the men, whenever the adhan called out the muezzin they would stop whatever they were doing and head for the nearest mosque - no drama, they just went along in their everyday clothes.

Here, the whole thing has been over-dramatised on both sides of the fence. While I don't live or work near a mosque and so don't see the same thing happening here, I do see plenty of men and women identifying themselves as Muslims by their dress. This is something you didn't see 10-15 years ago and, as I've already alluded to, something that I didn't see at all in a Muslim country.

So the questions are these: Are there simply more Muslims here now? Do Muslims feel than they can wear these clothes now, whereas they didn't feel they could in the past? Or are they simply making a statement?

P.S. There was a similar argument in the early '70s with regard to Sikhs wearing turbans while riding motorbikes. Their religion forbade them to remove their turbans while the law said they had to wear a crash helmet. Clearly they couldn't wear both. This was resolved by giving them an exemption in Section 2A of the Motor-Cycle Crash Helmets (Religious Exemption) Act 1976.
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you have raised a good point. it's simply another form of martyrdom

even muslim states are banning it, there is no place for it in modern society

the fact they both wish to remain anonymous is in itself a paradox

why waste time making a statement if you are not going to back yourself up?

so, in my personal view, it is nothing more than a statement of nothingness. a means to 'get one's own back' on the society that welcomed them here in the first place.
 
I'm all for religious tolerance but I am yet to hear a valid arguement for a burkha.
 
i am all for equallity, and live and let live, but the fact remains britain has been subjected to terrorist attacks with the loss of life, so what is the most important, the safety of everyone, or the beliefs of the muslims.

we have to do what is right for britain, and the people of britain (something that never happens), and if that upsets muslims then so be it, when in rome and all that.

we have respected their cultures, it's time some did ours.
 
I would feel intimidated if i was a bus driver and 2 black figures approached me. They are so intimidating and worse of all, it isnt even part of their religion. they do it just to cause public unrest within the community. The sooner that the burka and veil are banned, then the better for all of us, including the innocent muslims, which the majority of them are. There could be anybody under one of these black cloaks, its a serious terror and security issue that needs addressing ASAP. The other side of the coin is why do people wearing motorcycle helmets have to remove their helmets and head gear when entering a public place? The main reason is for secrity and so they can be spotted n CCTV but also so other people within the building dont feel threatened by the presencs of someone stood next to them without being able to see their face. Or maybe it is one rule for us and another for them?
 
TheLegendOfBerti said:
yes, but then again it shows the double standards of our country.

Religion should not be public, only buildings are excused from that.

I'm sick of one rule for them and one for the rest of us.
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since when has that been a 'rule'? stop talking shite
 
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