Reply to: Anybody Ever Seen a Doctor or Nurse Wearing Niqab?

[amcdonald]

Could we invent a religion where all women we gaze upon have to be naked, otherwise it's insult to our prophet ?

Then we could have an amusing mexican stand off

[vetran]

Time for the Church of the FSM to demand its followers all wear Balaclavas for a day or the Jedi Knights to march on Parliament in Darth Vadar masks.

Unfortunately I suspect much of it is dictated by the males of the religion or for personal convenience reasons as suggested by Gibbon.

[amcdonald]

The woman stood, unaware it seems of my presence, at the other side and ’sent’ the young girl into Curry’s where there were people messing around with the tablets etc. The girl was going around behind the women and looking it seems for any open handbags whilst they were distracted. When I noticed this I put my head round the pillar and the older woman who grasped that I knew what they were about and so beckoned the girl out of the shop and walked off. I reported this to a security guard who said he would look out for them. Trouble was the only way of recognising them was the little girls description..

Now I am most definitely not saying that everyone wearing a veil is a thief, what I am pointing out is the lack of recognition and accountability.

Considering what they were wearing could you be sure they were a woman, if it was a male thief it would be an ideal way to disguise thier identify for the security cameras

[Gibbon]

I think this is the thin edge of a wider debate about covering up in public places. Personally I think the right of society to be able to recognise people outweighs the freedom to wear or not to wear what you want. You can’t walk down the streets naked so we already have limits on what is acceptable. There are security issues too and the following is a true story that I observed.

I was in the Trafford Center leaning against a pillar waiting for the wife to come out from M&S when a woman, presumably, came to the other side of the pillar in a black flowing burka with full face covering accompanied by a 8-9 year old young girl in pink western clothing. The woman stood, unaware it seems of my presence, at the other side and ’sent’ the young girl into Curry’s where there were people messing around with the tablets etc. The girl was going around behind the women and looking it seems for any open handbags whilst they were distracted. When I noticed this I put my head round the pillar and the older woman who grasped that I knew what they were about and so beckoned the girl out of the shop and walked off. I reported this to a security guard who said he would look out for them. Trouble was the only way of recognising them was the little girls description..

Now I am most definitely not saying that everyone wearing a veil is a thief, what I am pointing out is the lack of recognition and accountability.

[sasguru]

Nobody seems to get worked up monks and nun who live in cut off cloistered orders.

They're just as silly and medieval, IMO. But at least they cut themselves off voluntarily. I doubt anyone would complain if niqab wearers cut themselves off in cloistered orders.

[Old Greg]

It's a difficult one: freedom of the individual to behave in a backward, medieval fashion versus the expectations of a modern society

Nobody seems to get worked up monks and nun who live in cut off cloistered orders.

[fullyautomatix]

Thought not. So why are the Tories tulipstirring about it? They presumably see some benefit in inciting hatred, but what could it be?

Only the daily mail reading New Labour muppets will think its the Tories stirring it.

[DimPrawn]

It's a difficult one: freedom of the individual to behave in a backward, medieval fashion versus the expectations of a modern society

WHS.

[DimPrawn]

Nurses who want to wear a veil could work on the blind ward. Sorted.

Or carry a large photo of their face? Would the peace loving religion allow a man to look at their photo?

[sasguru]

Thought not. So why are the Tories tulipstirring about it? They presumably see some benefit in inciting hatred, but what could it be?

It's a difficult one: freedom of the individual to behave in a backward, medieval fashion versus the expectations of a modern society

[BrilloPad]

Every time I have been into an operating theatre everyone has had their face and hair covered, including me. Apparently this is normal.

Was that when you woke up in the middle of your sex change op?

[sasguru]

Nurses who want to wear a veil could work on the blind ward. Sorted.

An eminently sensible practical British compromise.

[mudskipper]

Nurses who want to wear a veil could work on the blind ward. Sorted.

[doodab]

Every time I have been into an operating theatre everyone has had their face and hair covered, including me. Apparently this is normal.

[Spacecadet]

I've been treated in both the main hospitals in bradford, and was unlucky enough to have to stay in the bradford royal infirmary for a couple of weeks. No sign of doctors or nurses wearing niqabs. Plenty of visitors wearing them though.

My wife has had two children in Airedale hospital, keighley (near bradford) and again there was no sign of any staff wearing face coverings.

If you don't see them here I would think the incidence of them occurring at all must be minuscule.

BBC News - Face veils in hospital under review

Some hospitals say the veil can be worn for religious reasons. Others - including some in West Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and east London - rule the clothing is not permitted in order to ensure effective communication

Don't be too sure about Bradford being an indicator the rest of the UK