Action Alert: Lobby Against the Niqab Ban

The Niqab has been banned in France and we can do something about it! Fulfill your duty as a Muslim and stand up for justice. If you really want to stop this happening in the UK join a political party now and you will be in a position to stop it when it matters. Don't wait until it's too late!

Labour Party: https://secure2.labour.org.uk/join/
Conservative Party: http://www.conservatives.com/Get_involved/Join.aspx
Liberal Democrats Party: https://www.libdems.org.uk/join_us.aspx

Also:

Write to the Daily Mail expressing your views on their shocking article.

Lobby your MPs in Parliament and your MEPs in the European Parliament asking them to oppose the ban. You can find their details through this link: http://www.writetothem.com/

Dear <MP/MEP name>,

I am writing to you in light of the recent news of the banning of the niqab in France.

Regulating what a person must not wear in this way is just as bad as forcing people to wear niqab against their will. Many of the arguments that are given by those who advocate the niqab ban are very weak when examined more closely:

1. “Niqab is a security risk.” This issue is easily resolved - at airports and at events simply have a female attendee check their face with their passport or ID. In fact this happens already at a number of airports and other places, with no fuss or issue at all.

2. “It is imposed by men to oppress women and objectify them, women do not choose to wear it freely.” If this was the case, we wouldn’t see protests in Paris full of women with niqabs protesting the ban. In public, televised debates we wouldn't see Muslim women wearing hijabs and niqabs expressing their independent thinking as to why they wear such items. The reasons women choose to adopt this dress vary from religious interpretation to seeking freedom from an objectifying consumerism that defines women by their appearance.

3. “It is unsightly and I am uncomfortable with it.” I am sure many people were uncomfortable with the way Punks dressed and expressed themselves in the 70s, nor are many people comfortable with the way young people express themselves today with hoodies etc. However, in a free society, that does not give us the right to ban such styles of dress.

The underlying reason why niqab was banned in France and why there is discussion of banning hijab is due to Islamophobia and the rise of the far-right. There are alarming parallels between the far-right's increasingly open demonisation of Muslims and Nazi propaganda against the Jews.

In addition, this ban is a direct infringement of personal and religious freedom and is surely in contradiction to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Philip Hollobone MP has proposed such a ban in the UK, as have as other politicians in Spain and Belgium. As my elected representative can you please reassure me that you do not support the banning of the niqab and will speak out and oppose such bans?

Yours sincerely

<Your Name>