This week in Berlin, niiu has been delivering what it claims to be the world’s first personalised newspaper, writes Ben Gook from Berlin.
Another storm in a hijab
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Another day, another hijab row — the first one of the post-Howard era, I think. This one was sparked by Queensland radio host Michael Smith, who is apparently auditioning for the role of the Alan Jones of the North. And it isn’t quite clear just which garment is at the centre of this row, which has conflated not only various forms of Islamic dress, but also bike helmets and hoodies. Smith sparked the row during his show by describing the hijab as “offensive” and a “security issue” because it obscures the face. That would come as news to the vast majority of hijabis, who use their scarves to conceal their hair, not their faces. In his blog, Smith refines his description by referring to the “full-on hijab”. Hijab in its broadest meaning just refers to modest clothing, but in contemporary usage it generally refers to a headscarf. Smith’s “full-on hijab” seems to be refer to what is more usually termed a niqab, or face-veil. The story gathered pace after Scott Driscoll of the Retailer’s Association (also known as the Queensland Retails Traders and Shopkeepers Association) said that retailers should be able to require customers to remove “identity-obscuring headwear”, such as hijabs, hoodies, and bike-helmets because of the danger of armed hold-ups. A word of caution to any wanna-be armed robbers out there: a niqab might hide your face from the security camera, but in Australia, it has serious limitations as a disguise in that it attracts attention rather than deflects it. You might as well save yourself the trip out to Lakemba and just stick to the old-fashioned stocking-over-the-head — you can pick up that outfit at Woolies. And retailers seem to know that the minuscule risk of niqab-clad stick-up artists pales into insignificance in comparison to the risk of alienating customers by embroiling themselves in hijab rows. The Australian Retailer’s Association today put out a press release disassociating themselves from Driscoll’s association. Executive Director Richard Evans said:
Crikey phoned Westfield for a response to Smith’s fulminations about hijabs in shopping centres, and was told “We can’t speak for retailers or individual store policies, but Westfield does not have a dress code.” This hijab/niqab will die down soon enough — until the next time. The problem is that every such row takes it toll, increasing the sense of unease among Muslims and forcing Muslim women into a defensive position. Many hijabis themselves privately refer to the niqab as being “over the top”, but when it is attacked in such alarmist terms, they feel obligated to defend a woman’s entitlement to wear it if she chooses. And having a garment attacked by the likes of Smith and Driscoll can only add to its appeal among young woman looking to make a fashion statement with edge. Shakira Hussein is a contributor to the forthcoming “Beyond the Hijab Debates: New Conversations on Gender, Race and Religion”, (ed Tanja Dreher and Christina Ho, Cambridge Scholars Press). |
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9 Comments
How long have Muslims been living in Australia? Why is this suddenly a problem? Is there a crime-gang of Burkha wearing bank-robbers causing terror in middle Australia?
Oh right….talk-radio….where white, middle-class males can live out their Turner Diaries fantasies and for some reason be taken seriously.
Smith has his talk-radio wires crossed anyway. It’s Aboriginals for crime and Muslims for terrorism! What a silly talk-radio host he is!
The wearing a hijab or niqab is usually presented to us as a religious or cultural ‘obligation’. That is, not ‘voluntary’.
The purpose of this ridiculous garb is said to be so that sight of a woman, or her hair, will not ‘excite’ a (Muslim) man. Incredible. That view, surely, is an insult to every man who ever encounters a woman.
But, if Muslim men are so afraid of women, why don’t they wear the bags over their heads instead? And let women get on with life in this country as they see fit.
My suspicion was correct. The silly anti-muslim campaign was against jihab not any other head gear.
The records show that crims trying to conceal their identity use balaclavas, which have not been mentioned).
But I would go even further to secure safety of the community:
People wearing sunglasses, wigs, make-up, dyed hair, fancy hair-do, long trousers, loose tops, dentures as well as people on wheel chairs should be banned from any public appearance; just to be on a safe side.
Just wondering what kind of head gear was worn by the crims who actually robbed major world banks?
Correct me if I’m wrong,but the wearing of the hijab is to conceal the sexuality of the wearer from the prying eyes of males. This implies that I,or any other male,do not have the manners,self control or whatever to be able to co-exist with women dressed in “normal” attire. Give me a break…let them go back and live in the dark ages where they belong. Why should I respect this ridiculous subjugation of women by a male dominated religion.
Of course the story is sourced to Queensland and one of those deep north radio stations that actually do get ratings from indigenous, religious and contentious issue-slander. Smith is a former police officer without a wit on the DNA of radio so he and his station are now facing broadcasting gurus to explain why the station should hold a licence. Fairfax steers this sixties-style ship that clearly went ‘berko’ for ratings twice in a matter of days with another interview that set up and came off badly with the AMA’s Dr Capolingua. All that’s unacceptable in Sydney and Melbourne thrives up here in pineapple territory. It shouldn’t.
considering QLD and the dreadful Surfer’s Paradise used to be the retirement home of every Aussie conman and crook along with the most corrput police force in the land , led by a conniving old fraudster of a premier Sir Joh, maybe shock jock (isn’t their day up ?) Smith knows a bit more about shoplifting and bank robberies than we do but I don’t recall any reports of face-veiled gangs mauradring about the Sunshine Coast-unless those blowing up ATMs are a band of Islamist fanatical female robbers. It’s about time d**kheads like Smith (and Jones) put up proof of their wacky claims or they should be off the air for spreading falsehoods. As for OLD traders association-next time I’ll ensure I shop in stores that don’t belong to your nitwit organisation.
My last name isn’t Lewis, but I don’t understand why you think my remark was bigoted.
Bigoted to talk-radio hosts maybe, but my reference to Aboriginals and Muslims was about how shock-jocks treat issues revolving around ethnicity and religion, not my own personal views which are pretty much the opposite of the shock-jocks.
Hope this helps!
My understanding of radio station Brisbane 4BC is that it is mostly made up of Coalition Sympathisers and if you listen to it all day you would get plenty of anti-Labor bias and bile. When dumped Liberal minister (and then dumped by his Moreton Electorate in the 2007 Poll ) Gary Hardgrave gets on the airwaves he gets into Pm Rudd, treasuer Swan and Julia Gillard-not necessarily in that order. He sounds bitter and a sors loser and needs a Life after Politics. Then we have a whole lot of others who i wll not name who show their bias.. I will stick to Our ABC as commercial radio is just full of troglodytes… and pre-copernican obscurantists… bunch of oxygen thieves and covert rednecks.Mike Smith — — get a real job…. you are very blinkered.
Is that you, Daniel Lewis? Why don’t you write these kinds of bigotted remarks in your letters to the editor?