Split UK opinion over 'poppy hijabs'

Poppy-themed headscarf offers Muslim women a way to remember those who fought and died for Britain in world wars. The 'poppy hijab' is intended to raise awareness about Muslims who fought in World War I [Rooful Ali/Aliway.co.uk] London, United Kingdom - To some it is a symbol of faith and freedom, a celebration of  multicultural Britain, and even a fashion statement. But for others, it entrenches divisions  and plays on the insecurities of an already-marginalised community. A "poppy hijab" designed to commemorate their co-religionists who fought for the country is  splitting opinion among British Muslims. Paper lapel poppies are traditionally worn by many people in the UK in the run-up to  November 11, the anniversary of the end of World War I, in memory of those who  fought and died for Britain in both world wars and subsequent conflicts. But a poppy-themed headscarf backed by the Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) and  British Future, an integration think tank, is this year offering Muslim women an  additional way to support the campaign. The scarf is also intended to raise awareness about the 400,000 Muslims, most of  them soldiers in the 1.2-million-strong Indian army, who served alongside British  forces in World War I.Its launch was timed to coincide with the centenary of a  soldier from modern-day Pakistan, Khudadad Khan, becoming the first Muslim  to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the UK's highest military honour, for holding  up a German advance while outgunned and severely wounded. "Thousands of British Muslims already wear a poppy. This is just another way for  them to show they remember those who gave their lives for their country,"  said Sughra Ahmed, president of the ISB. "It's also a way for ordinary Muslim citizens to take some attention away from  extremists who seem to grab the headlines. This symbol of quiet remembrance  is the face of everyday British Islam - not the angry minority who spout hatred and  offend everyone." Shared history According to polls carried out by British Future, many people in the UK remain unaware  of the scale of the Muslim contribution to the country's World War I campaign.  The group sees public interest in the centenary of the conflict offering an opportunity  to remind people of that story as a way of strengthening integration and a sense of  shared history. Yet, the message picked up by right-wing newspapers reporting the launch of the  hijab was subtly different, with the Daily Mail stating that British Muslims were  being "urged" to wear the scarf as "a challenge to extremist groups who  'spout hatred' about the armed forces". To some, coming from a newspaper that last year ran a comment piece with the headline:  "When did you last see a poppy on a burka?", and weeks after the Sun newspaper used  a front page picture of a woman in a Union Jack hijab to "urge Brits of all faiths to  stand up to extremists", the story appeared to be the latest salvo in a media campaign  casting Muslims as outsiders, and calling on them to prove where their loyalties lie. "These re-appropriations of the hijab can be little more than proxies for anti-Muslim  bigotry. They become a politically correct way of airing a suspicion that all Muslims  are 'basically terrorist sympathisers'. The wearing - or not wearing - of a patriotic hijab becomes a shrouded loyalty test," wrote Chris Allen, a researcher on anti-Muslim hate crime  at the University of Birmingham. Faeeza Vaid, executive director of the Muslim Women's Network UK, told Al Jazeera the idea behind the hijab was well intentioned, but it risked deepening divisions between British communities. "The fact that it is being promoted by the likes of the Daily Mail, part of the thinking is,  'Okay, you are a little bit British but not British enough. We will accept you, but on  our terms,'" said Vaid. "The idea is to show that we all care about the same things, but why is the burden on  Muslim women to prove that sense of shared identity? We wouldn't expect Muslim  men to wear poppy hats to the mosque, or Sikh men to wear poppy turbans. If you  look at it like that it is just ludicrous." Show support Vaid said she had worn a poppy in the past. But she said some people had concerns, especially  in light of British involvement in more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, about promoting  a symbol that the Royal British Legion, the charity behind the poppy appeal, says is worn  "to commemorate the sacrifices of our armed forces and to show support to those still serving  today". "We have to look at what the poppy symbolises. There have been so many more wars since  the wars which it represents took place and I think we need a broader support for anti-war  [efforts] or to highlight different approaches to war." For some women, there may be other reasons to feel uncomfortable about wearing a  scarf decorated with a motif seen by many as an expression of patriotism. Recent studies of anti-Muslim hate crime have shown that women wearing traditional  Islamic dress aremost at risk from abuse and street attacks. A report last year said  this had led some to question their Britishness. Fiyaz Mughal, the director of Tell MAMA, an organisation monitoring attacks on Muslims,  told Al Jazeera most women simply wanted to get on with their lives and did not  want any symbolism attached to the clothing that they chose to wear beyond the  expression of their faith. "Women are at the brunt end of Islamophobia at street level. Now they are at the brunt  end of being told they are the ones who need to prove their loyalty. And they are at  the brunt end of people trying to manipulate the whole thing of how women should dress,"  Mughal said. This is a way of respecting your religion and respecting the culture you are living in. There are some countries  where they don't allow you to wear a headscarf. - Wahiida, student Steve Ballinger of British Future, which is selling the scarf online, told Al Jazeera the main aim  of the hijab campaign had been to raise awareness about the numbers of Muslims who had  fought for Britain during World War I and to "celebrate the things that people have in common". "It is not intended in any way as a loyalty test," he said. "Some of the media reports have  used the word 'urged' and that has understandably made some people rather concerned.  It has always been a choice. Everyone chooses whether to wear a poppy to remember in November. Some Muslims do and some Muslims don't. Some non-Muslims do and  some don't." Greater tolerance Among Muslim students leaving a college in East London, most said they had no objection to the  headscarf and hoped it would help to promote greater tolerance and awareness of Muslim  communities. "The perception that some people have of Muslim people is that they don't get involved, that  they are just here," said Wahiida. "This is a way of respecting your religion and respecting the  culture you are living in. There are some countries where they don't allow you to wear a  headscarf." Her friend Nafisat said she would also consider wearing the scarf, if she was given one for  free. "I would wear this because it is a modern type of style. It makes it fashionable, and i t is paying respect to the soldiers who fought for the country. And it is a multicultural symbol.  When you think of Britain you don't think of a race, you think of different people." But others said two of the models photographed posing in the hijab were dressed inappropriately  because their necks and chests were visible, and said they considered their scarves an  expression of their religious identities. "They should have designed a bracelet or  something instead," said a young woman wearing aniqab who did not want to give  her name. Only on one thing did all agree. At £22 ($35), compared to a typical poppy donation of  a few pounds, donning a poppy hijab is an expensive statement to make. "Too pricey," said one woman, shaking her head. Follow Simon Hooper on Twitter: @simonbhooper http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/11/split-uk-opinion-over-poppy-hijabs-20141196523894487.html