Laws, customs of foreign country should be respected, even about headscarves
In India, during a televised debate about the statements of Cardinal Martino about immigrants' integration, Fr Babu Joseph said this was not a case of interfering with other religions but of recognizing the rights of the host country.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) Insisting that immigrants adjust to the laws and traditions of their host country is linked to their integration as foreigners, and if it is alright for Muslim countries to insist that visitors respect their dress code, then it is logical that western countries should do likewise. In a televised debate on Indian television, Fr Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, spoke about recent statements made at the Vatican by Cardinal Raffaele Renato Martino about the Muslim headscarf debate that is raging in western countries.
At the Vatican, the question was raised by journalists two days ago, Tuesday 14 November, during the presentation of the message of Benedict XVI for World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Speaking about the need to facilitate integration of immigrants, the cardinal backed the principle that states should "require that guests who arrive from a different culture must respect the traditions, the symbols, the culture, the religion of the countries they go to." As for the Muslim headscarf (not tackled in the message of the pope), the Cardinal replied to a specific question put to him and said respect for local laws could also include the ban on such apparel. "This seems to me to be elementary," he said. "It is quite right that authorities insist on this." In its reporting about the pope's message, Vatican Radio reiterated the stance, saying the question should be "considered in the context of respect for the laws of the countries which welcome" them.
In the debate on Indian television, Fr Babu Joseph, replying to questions put to him by three Muslim scholars, said the statements of Cardinal Martino that Muslim women should respect social customs and local institutions, should be seen in a western context. In effect, he said, some western countries were facing the problem of women wearing the burka in public places like schools, colleges and the like, so the cardinal's observations had to be seen from this perspective. Responding to an accusation of interference in matters of another religion, the spokesman of the bishops' conference said: "These misunderstandings are 'misplaced'. We are not attacking anybody and it is not our intention to interfere with other faiths". He said discussions about social issues and other faiths have always found a place in the history of Vatican and that this was an instrument for reforms and changes.
Further, replying to a question about why the highest authority of the church had to interfere with another religion, when "Christian sisters are obliged to wear a veil", Fr Babu Joseph said: "First of all, wearing a veil is optional, secondly nuns represent a miniscule percentage of the Christian population. Thirdly nuns are given the personal freedom to choose the kind of dress they want."
On of the Muslim scholars said: "each should respect the religion of the other". Fr Joseph countered this by saying: "Just as people of other religions in Islamic countries are expected to follow local customs and traditions, people who follow the Islamic religion should do the same when they go to other cultures and countries."
In western countries, the veil is either absolutely banned, like in France for example, or must be removed in public offices if it covers nearly the entire face, as in Great Britain or in Italy, where the face must be recognizable.
In some other countries, the veil represents a dilemma for the women wearing it. In Lebanon, for example, where Christians and Muslims coexist side by side, it is a common sight to see women dressed in black and with headscarves walking side by side with a friend, or a sister, whose hair is flying loose in the wind. "Every morning I wake up, I am aware of my identity," says Shereen Ali, a graceful 23-year-old girl. "My hejab determines the way I behave towards people and them towards me. My wearing the hejab doesn't mean that I am a fanatic, but that I like wearing it."
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11/08/2017 20:05
