The Daily Campus

Issue date: 10/13/06 Section: Commentary

In an Oct. 5 column in the Lancashire Telegraph newspaper, Jack Straw, the British House of Commons leader, was quoted as saying "I find it uncomfortable when I'm interviewing [Muslim] women who are wearing [a veil]." Straw continued by saying that while he does not believe these women should be forced to dress without covering their faces, he does think removing these veils would facilitate better communication and generally improve relations between Britain's Muslim and non-Muslim communities. In this vein, Straw said he now encourages veiled women speaking with him to remove their veils - a request that he says has always been obliged.

While Straw's comments may have merit - in that the veil can be interpreted as both a device of female repression and one of cultural separation - they are inappropriate given his role in society. Straw's occupation is to create British law, not to critique thousand-year-old Islamic traditions. Further, as an elected representative, Straw is obligated to work for all of his constituents - among whom 30 percent are Muslims - to the best of his ability. By making these unnecessary remarks, which were apparently not prompted by any legislative action nor interviewer prodding, Straw has distanced himself from many of the very people he was elected to represent. In the future, he would be wiser to keep these kinds of opinions to himself - a high profile government worker should not be publicly commenting on such divisive issues unless said worker plans to act on them with legislation.

Straw's comments are particularly pernicious given the recent conflicts between Western and Muslim societies. In the past six months, several Western commentators have publicly expressed anti-Muslim sentiments - with violent results. Last month, Pope Benedict XVI quoted remarks made by a 14th century Byzantine emperor that suggested Islam was violent religion. Meanwhile, a Danish newspaper published several cartoons negatively depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad this past winter. Given these recent affronts to Islam, which have increasingly polarized the Muslim world and the West, Straw's remarks are especially unwelcome and untimely.

While it is certainly a relief that these remarks were not made by an American politician, Americans should still be displeased by Straw's comments. The United States has had strong diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom and stands to suffer further damage to its credibility when members of allied governments make such insensitive comments. Hopefully, Western politicians will choose their words more carefully in the future. Further antagonist remarks - as well intentioned as they may be - will serve only to widen the rift between these two cultures and create greater international relations difficulties in the future. This is an unacceptable possibility for the increasingly integrated world in which we live today.

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