[Archived] Would you like to be treated by a doctor/ nurse wearing a veil ?

[Alex Rover]

I would not like it and would ask for another doctor/nurse to treat me. If it's something as important as my health I appreciate being able to communicate with someone I can see with the natural facial expressions that we can all read (even subconsciously). It should give me confidence in them personally and reassurance.

Lets face it if your hospital it's not usually for good and being dealt by a happy smiling face or a serious concerned face is right and natural for me.

[adopted scouser]

There is a huge difference insomuch as you will have spoken to your surgeon in person before your operation and by the time he puts on the mask you will probably be unconscious anyway. The "Ninja" on the other hand never shows you her face and could even be a man for all you know. I just could never trust somebody who will not see you face to face, religion or no religion.

Agreed, that thing belongs in the middle ages. Aside from the hospital scenario I'm with France, ban the bloody thing, it looks ridiculous and serves to alienate.

[T.J.Newton]

I, ban it

[neekoy]

Who cares? Seriously, imagine if they are world leading doctor on something that ills you, you are seriously going to say, sorry doc I can't listen to you because you have a veil.

TBH, I think they are ridiculuous and there are certain circumstances like testifying in court, entering banks etc that they should not be allowed. If there are also strict requirements around uniform then once again, they shouldn't be allowed.

The craziness in all of this is that research shows in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Afganistan women wearing it are MORE of a target in comparison to women wearing "Western" clothing because they are seen as easier targets, no question, they are in most cases submitting to the will of men so why not target them.

[gumboots]

Heard a father the other day trying to insist that his daughter wear a headscarf for PElessons. It was pointed out to him that this is not practical for health and safety reasons. She wears one at primary school was his argument. Yes said the games teacher but the lessons here are different level from primary school. Father was still adamant she wore it and stormed off to see head- don't know what the outcome was but seemed a mad discussion to me.

[K-Hod]

In answer to the OP-no.

Headscarf, no worries. Why anyone would cover their face is beyond me. Agree with the points about wearing while driving as well.

[thenodrog]

For me, I don't like to see the full veil in any circumstances and agree with the French stance on this subject.

The only circumstances where I'd not care a hoot is

a. If I was blind.

and

b. If I was at deaths door.

If the lady concerned was from an arabian nomadic tribe then I'd probably in all seriousness take a considerate viewpoint. However if she was descended from any other muslim country I'd prefer her to wear the national head covering of that country. Notably a simple headscarf or hijab of one sort or another. The increasing trend of niqab/burqa use is just a wind up of the indigenous population by assorted immigrants and nothing else.

btw Taking the p1ss in Derby ..... http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/teachers-forced-wear-hijab-al-madinah-2288901

[roverandout]

this is the uk not the middle east, they shouldn't wear them over here. full stop. for me its a sign of rudeness and disrespect to the people of the west when they wear them in public, wear them at home, I couldn't give a rat's ass about that but not in a public place

[adopted scouser]

this is the uk not the middle east, they shouldn't wear them over here. full stop. for me its a sign of rudeness and disrespect to the people of the west when they wear them in public, wear them at home, I couldn't give a rat's ass about that but not in a public place

What he said

[broadsword]

[bluebruce]

this is the uk not the middle east, they shouldn't wear them over here. full stop. for me its a sign of rudeness and disrespect to the people of the west when they wear them in public, wear them at home, I couldn't give a rat's ass about that but not in a public place

Don't agree whatsoever. It's observance of their own culture, anyone who thinks they're wearing them merely to be rude to us is being ignorant. Where would you draw a line here? Can they not wear any garb from their country of origin, then? Must they dress just like Westerners? It's impossible to say what dressing like a Westerner even is, so varied are our fashions. Indeed the whole point of our culture these days is freedom of expression, that is what allows us this variance- so let them express, freely. Even if that expression comes through concealment. There are the odd circumstances where of course it shouldn't be allowed.

I don't know that being a doctor is one of them. Some patients do feel a need to trust their doctors by reading their facial expressions etc first, I grant (the point about if you're deaf being an excellent one). But personally, I would simply want to be treated by the best doctor the medical establishment I am present at has on their books, regardless of their religious leanings and clothing.

I find this thread quite funny though...because I've never seen a doctor or nurse dressed like that. I suspect that if you're submissive enough to men to go along with the whole veil thing, then you're probably submissive enough to the part of the culture that feels women shouldn't have high-powered professional jobs like being a doctor. Hence I wouldn't expect to see many, if any, doctors wearing veils.

[Sparky Marky]

Now, wouldn't that have been much funnier if we could have seen the face.....? A good argument for banning the burka...

[thenodrog]

A better argument for banning it is in the first sentence here..............

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/23/white-widow-samantha-lewthwaite_n_3975349.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

btw Sorry if that link has made you look a cupid stunt yet AGAIN Jim.

[meerkat]

My dentist wears a veil, and tbh never gave it a second thought, although I can see the security concerns re the bigger picture.

[Sparky Marky]

My dentist wears a veil, and tbh never gave it a second thought, although I can see the security concerns re the bigger picture.

Wow, can't imagine what my already nervous of dentists 9 year old would make of his dentist in the full get-up. @#/? himself probably.

[thenodrog]

My dentist wears a veil, and tbh never gave it a second thought, although I can see the security concerns re the bigger picture.

Also raises the question about how a dentist would treat somebody wearing a veil?

[dave birch]

I was in Sri Lanka recently, and there were quite a few ladies wearing the full monty.

Two things stick out in my mind:

1. on a windy day, one ladies veil blew right up revealing her mush. No cries of anguish were heard. There was no Miss universe on offer there.

2. In the hotel we were staying in in Colombo, one lady, wearing the full veil carefully picked out her breakfast, went and sat down, and then threw back the veil over her head, and got stuck into the food.

[adopted scouser]

Stupid

[adopted scouser]

Backward people, backward beliefs.

[Baz]

Personally Id sooner see the better doctor, than the junior not wearing a veil.

Each to their own I guess, but as long as they can do their job, I don't see a problem.

If people don't want to be seen by someone wearing the veil, then they shouldn't be made to feel bad about it either.

[Mike E]

Just had to cause a scene at Asda :/ a woman (in full burka) was repeatedly asking me something. I told her I couldn't understand her as I'm deaf and could she please lift her veil (as I've mentioned I've asked many women before, who have been happy to lift their veil so I can lip-read them- many in the presence of their spouses).

Cue her and her husband demanding I be removed from the store for being racist. After explaining the situation to the manager (or whatever he was) it was actually THEM who got removed.

His logic was that they were the ones acknowledging the difference in skin colour rather than me, on top of the fact they were inadvertently discriminating against a disabled man.

Faith in humanity restored!

[thenodrog]

Just had to cause a scene at Asda :/ a woman (in full burka) was repeatedly asking me something. I told her I couldn't understand her as I'm deaf and could she please lift her veil (as I've mentioned I've asked many women before, who have been happy to lift their veil so I can lip-read them- many in the presence of their spouses).

Cue her and her husband demanding I be removed from the store for being racist. After explaining the situation to the manager (or whatever he was) it was actually THEM who got removed.

His logic was that they were the ones acknowledging the difference in skin colour rather than me, on top of the fact they were inadvertently discriminating against a disabled man.

Faith in humanity restored!

Good on you Mike and good on the manager too for giving a reasoned judgement, though no doubt he will be in hot water tomorrow.

btw Just as an aside and I'm not being picky here but you obviously qualify as being disabled, so does that qualify you to park in disabled spaces and if it does do you?

[Mike E]

It doesn't impair my ability to drive so I don't qualify.

It's a strange one as it's a disability but then again no worse than needing to wear glasses imo. Just that our 'spectacles' (if you will) are more expensive to produce.

[adopted scouser]

Cue her and her husband demanding I be removed from the store for being racist.

What has race got to do with it ? You couldn't tell what she was saying and were trying to be helpful.

There's nothing more divisive than that thing, yesterday in Blackburn a woman (I'm assuming it was a woman) also had a thin gauze over the letter box bit to render her completely covered from head to toe. Absolutely ridiculous for this day and age, pity we haven't got balls like the French.

[DE.]

Just had to cause a scene at Asda :/ a woman (in full burka) was repeatedly asking me something. I told her I couldn't understand her as I'm deaf and could she please lift her veil (as I've mentioned I've asked many women before, who have been happy to lift their veil so I can lip-read them- many in the presence of their spouses).

Cue her and her husband demanding I be removed from the store for being racist. After explaining the situation to the manager (or whatever he was) it was actually THEM who got removed.

His logic was that they were the ones acknowledging the difference in skin colour rather than me, on top of the fact they were inadvertently discriminating against a disabled man.

Faith in humanity restored!

Ridiculous. Glad to hear common sense prevailed in this instance.