Proving nothing, and for no apparent reason, Aoife Anderson, one of the Evening Heralds staffers, donned a hijab for a day.  This took up a full page in today’s Evening Herald, Dublins biggest selling daily paper (and only evening paper), half of said page was taken up with four photos, two of her with Hijab (Including one of the most awkward smiles I have ever seen – as she receives ‘helpful advice from Ali Selim’ {why didn’t she ask.. you know.. a Hijabi for helpful advice anyway?}) and then a further two of her without a hijab.  I’ve no idea what the point of this was, there are plenty of Hijabis articulate enough to write a significantly better article than this who could perfectly explain what its like to wear a Hijab, there are even plenty of “Hijab-on-friday” women who can write about the differences in behaviour towards them when wearing one and when not. Half a days wear proves absolutely nothing.  I’m going to repost this below as there is no Online version of the Herald.

Doing the Veil: My day going undercover as a Muslim in Dublin (do you notice how she nicked my blog title)

SOME WESTERN LEADERS BELIEVE THE HIJAB IS A DIVISIVE SYMBOL – WHILE THE WOMEN OF ISLAM REGARD IT AS A KEY TESTIMONY TO THEIR FAITH. AOIFE ANDERSON IS TRANSFORMED, WITH SURPRISING RESULTS.

It’s the burning issue that has divided the West from Islam in recent days.

In secular European countries, there’s been a backlash against the wearing of religious symbols such as the Muslim Hijab, the Christian cross and other statements of faith in the workplace and in schools.

In the past few weeks, a British Airways worker has been suspended from work for refusing to remove a Christian crucifix necklace, while a Muslim teacher was suspended after refusing to take off her veil while conducting her English language classes.

Many employers refuse to give reasons why their staff are not allowed to express their faith in their work dress – they insist that rules are rules.

And in Britain, top politician Jack Straw has slammed the wearing of Hijabs in public, claiming that he feels uncomfortable around them.

It’s an issue that upsets Ali Salem, from the Islamic Cultural Centre in Dublin’s Clonskeagh. (He is also, more importantly, General secretary of the Irish Council of Imams)

“This is setting major limitations on people’s freedom. Everything has limits – but this is too much… The Hijab is a code of modesty – it is not just visible, there is one for each sex, but both are different. It is not a choice, it is an Islamic obligation.. If someone asks a Muslim to remove their Hijab, they are interfering with private aspects of people’s lives.  There is a big difference between wearing a Hijab and wearing a cross – the cross is not an obligation.. If you want me to remove me to remove my Hijab then you want me to replace my religion with regulations for Public life, I will not do that.. people can take it or leave it, but these employers are interfering with very personal matters and my opinion is that it is slavery to ask any woman to reveal any part of her body for a job”

In a bit to discover whether religious symbols create unnecessary fear, division or anger, I spent a day wearing a Hijab.

Behaving according to its code of modesty – no eye contact with men, no eating because it is Ramadan, and nothing else that would show disrespect to the faith – I took to Dundrum Town Centre to analyse public reaction to the overtly religious symbol.

Despite my initial fears I found the Hijab to be so comfortable it was forgettable – but a few suspicious looks did remind me of its existence.

Shop assistants in a number of busy stores including Pennys, Boots and Tesco were either indifferent or their usual chatty selves – and some even offered me more assistance.

When I asked for directions I found that after their initial surprise of my Irish accent, people politely informed me where I needed to go.

Apart from a few curious glances on escalators and one overly cautious security guard noting my every move, the experience revealed that wearing religious symbols isn’t a big deal for most Irish.