Morocco moves to drop headscarf

Seems more people are waking up to the fact that the Muslim veil is not a religious symbol but a political one.

In the current climate, the Moroccan government is worried about anything that might fan the flames of Islamic fundamentalism and says it does not want the headscarf to become a rallying cry for extreme organisations.

"This issue isn't really about religion, its about politics," he says.

"The headscarf for women is a political symbol, in the same way as the beard is for men. But we in the ministry must be very careful that the books are fair to all Moroccans and do not represent just one political faction."

Across the Arab world the headscarf issue seems to be gathering momentum.

In Tunisia for example, young women who wear veils say they have been harassed by the authorities who are forcing the girls to remove their veils at schools and universities.

UPDATE

More from here in the UK.

Otherwise stick to the telephone. “Communities,” said Straw, “are about how we relate to strangers and that is made more difficult if people are wearing a veil.” The burqa, or full veil, is an assertion of cultural separateness, now with obvious political overtones. It is a visible display of distance. According to Straw such a use of dress as an ethnic badge, often accompanied by a refusal to accept dress codes in schools and jobs, is increasing across Europe. It is a use against which some countries, such as France and the Netherlands, have taken legislative action.

Politicians who have dared to enter these torrid waters (such as the MP Ann Cryer) are attempting as leaders of divided communities to build bridges within them. What to a Londoner is an exotic sight on the other side of the street, in the Midlands or northwest is a declaration of apartheid. It announces a group of newcomers who will integrate legally but not culturally, commercially but not socially. They want nationality à la carte, not table d’hôte.

Glad to see more and more people speaking on this issue.