Face veil controversies have become a common currency in the British media. Author shows that the characteristics of fervent debate do not only reproduce familiar stereotypes, but also obliterate the discussion about veiling within Muslim communities in Britain. What is left unseen is that reservations about the veil are not about British versus Muslim values but about different perspectives of British citizens.
A debate developed on the introduction of 'sharia law' or sharia arbitration in Ontario, Canada. Author reveals how an issue that was in its core about legal principles and practices turned into a debate about women's inequality, and by extension Canadian national identity and culture.