WITH reference to the article Scarf vs secularism, 16 November 2003, it is less appalling to get to know that the law is being reviewed in France to ban the wearing of scarf by Muslim women as it symbolizes the religion, which (the wearing of scarf) stands against the very essence of Secularism [sic].

It hurts when one gets to hear that the same kind of law is being put being put into consideration or even in action in an Islamic country like Turkey. Secularism emerged in the West in the 17th Century; but today the West herself, seems to be intentionally ignorant of the principles of secularism. The most prominent element of a secular state is that an individual has the full liberty to practise his/her religious or racial rituals, as long as these don’t tend to hurt the feelings of individuals of other religion or race.

Here one fails to understand what kind of physical or mental, religious or racial, political or social harm does the West see in a woman’s covering her head? The philosophy that a woman in scarf is not secular, obviously implies that a woman sans coverings is secular and socially acceptable.

Who knows time may come when there will be a law asking women to wear mini-skirts in order to keep going in the wild weird world of the West — or else, she would be castaway. This is a Machiavellian attempt on the Western part to either make Muslims quit Islam or stop progressing.

The West has per-chance realized the impression the scarf leaves on the minds of women. It has been reported that a number of European women have converted to Islam having solely been inspired by scarf. This fact is what is perturbing the West most at the moment.

AZHAR ALI SHAHANI
Larkana