Smile may be under the veil
Following Jack Straw's request to Muslim women to remove their veils during interviews at his surgery, there has been a lot of discussion. This is a cultural as well as a religious matter, and needs understanding in both directions.
Many Muslim women feel more comfortable and secure wearing headscarves in the street or in mixed company, and they look very elegant as well. But covering the face for additional modesty can cause anxiety in those they meet, simply because the expression cannot be seen.
I would respect their choice, but admit that on the rare occasions when I have seen a woman in Wolverhampton wearing a full-length burkha with just an eye slit I have been startled, because it is too reminiscent of the former oppressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But again, here it is the woman's choice.
We all need to be aware of and understand each other's customary behaviour. Occasionally, when you shake hands with someone from an African or Afro-Caribbean background they avoid eye-contact, because that has been taught them from an early age as a sign of respect.
If you are invited into a friend's or neighbour's home where the family custom is to remove outdoor shoes before walking on carpeted floors, and you do the same, it will be appreciated, but not expected, because it is known not to be the usual English custom. If you are offered food there, it is polite to eat with the right hand, and so on.
So if you happen to meet a neighbour and she is wearing a veil across her face, give her a smile and a "good morning" in passing. There may well be an answering smile of acknowledgement, even if you can't see it.
Sheila Shield, Penn Fields, Wolverhampton.
