A man who pulled a niqab veil off a Muslim woman at a shopping centre in the West Midlands has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Ian Brazier, of Shirley, Solihull, had admitted racially aggravated assault after he tugged at Farhana Chughtai’s hair in Touchwood, Solihull, in March.
Brazier, 26, was told to pay his victim £100 compensation and was handed a six-week sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Magistrates in Solihull also ordered him to carry out 250 hours unpaid work.
He was also directed to complete a diversity course.
Ms Chughtai said the attack left her feeling “violated and very distressed”.
Brazier, of Berkeley Road, said he had been smoking cannabis and was “upset” at not being able to watch two films at a nearby cinema complex prior to the attack.
‘No place for hate’
In a statement, Ms Chughtai said the crime had had a lasting impact on her.
She said: “Today I remain self-conscious and worry that the same thing may happen to me again.
“I am aware of other similar incidents in the West Midlands which have not been reported to police. This should not be the case.
“Victims should report these crimes as soon as they happen.”
Ch Insp Kevin Doyle, from West Midlands Police, said: “Despite the shocking nature of this offence, reports of crimes like this are exceptionally rare both in Solihull and the wider West Midlands.
“When they are reported to us, I would like to assure victims that they are investigated thoroughly, professionally and victims treated with the utmost dignity and respect.
“Today’s sentence shows that there is no place for hate in Solihull.”
via BBC News – Ian Brazier sentenced for pulling niqab veil from Muslim woman.
Hijab is more than just a religious obligation. People need to realise that, in its own right, it symbolises liberty. It gives women the freedom to show male strangers only the parts of the body that they wish them to see. Yes, the simplesalwar kameez and kurti do come under the category of ‘modest’ clothing. But if men want to objectify women, hijab just makes things harder for them. I would even go so far as to call it the ultimate feminist statement. A Muslim woman’s definition of empowerment is being judged by her personality alone, leaving her looks to be appreciated only by those who matter. To those who refer to theburkha as a “medieval garb,” I ask: Why is it that a nun wearing a similar robe is looked upon with respect, while a woman in a burkha is labelled as ‘backward’?
The niqab (face-covering) raises questions about its being not just a threat to security, but also the cause for a woman’s identity to ‘fade away’. A woman who wears the veil is obligated to reveal her identity whenever security demands it — in airports, in banks and in court, and she is fully aware of that.
As for the danger of her losing her identity, it must be understood that the face-veil is worn only when she steps out of her home. It is not worn in front of other women, as well as close male relatives. If only male strangers lose out on the chance of seeing a woman’s face, I fail to comprehend how that constitutes the loss of her identity.
Crimes against Muslim women cannot be attributed to Islam as a religion. Islam was the first to give women the right to own property, to divorce and to remarry (rights that were won by women of other religions only after fighting for them). In order to prevent girl babies being associated with burden, Muslim women are the ones who can ask dowries of their husbands. Islam doesn’t oppress women. Men oppress women. The reasons behind the exploitation of women in all religions and communities are the same: women being kept in the dark about their rights, and patriarchal, skewed interpretations of the religious text.
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk