I would disagree with Mr Fulton where he writes that the niqab is a cultural marker.
ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to George Fulton’s article of December 29 titled “A mark of separation”. The writer has evoked the age-old culture/religion debate to gain the sympathy of the reader. With due respect, may I ask the writer about his credentials since he has written: “But this (niqab) is not a religious practice.”
I’m sure readers will agree with me when I say that religion cannot be anybody’s playground, where such claims are allowed free rein. The fact that women don’t cover their faces during Hajj says nothing about the validity/invalidity of the niqab because it is the same as assuming that Muslims aren’t allowed to eat during the day because they fast in a particular month.
Also, I would disagree with Mr Fulton where he writes that the niqab is a cultural marker. I am sure that in some circles it is an indication of Islamic fundamentalism, but the marker is religious and not cultural.
Mariam Anis
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2011.
