The debate on banning of veil is gathering pace in Britain these days. France and Belgium have already banned full veil and showed their bias toward a minority community wishing to practice its religion. It is very strange that these countries talk so much about personal freedom and when a woman wishes to cover herself up and does not think that the veil is in anyway causing any inconvenience to her and does not obstruct her in performing her daily chores or duties, why then the governments feel obliged to take her veil and in other words her freedom to choose from her.

Many people, even in many liberal western countries, do not like the idea of women wearing short dresses or half skirts at the workplace. But it does not become a debate as it is the “right of a woman” to choose any attire she likes.

These double standards are beyond one’s comprehension. Now the latest debate in Britain over the veil is that a judge finds it difficult to pass a verdict if the face of an accused is covered. The reason given here is that facial expressions help a judge in making a decision. Now that is absurd. It is not easy to read faces, there are many people who know the art of concealing their emotions and very easily make a poker face. In short, it is difficult to say whether this western attitude should be called double standard or hatred toward Islam and Muslims. — Anees Lokhande, Alkhobar