In a New York Times article from last week, Prime Minister Tony Blair is quoted as calling the Muslim veil a “mark of separation” which makes others “feel uncomfortable.” The statement has created quite a stir and has proven its staying power in the media with articles appearing in the Washington Times, the Boston Globe, and other major publications.

Will England be the next country in a list of European Nations, including France, Italy, and a smattering of towns throughout Europe, to prohibit the wearing of a hijab? And maybe, the more important question is, is it appropriate for countries to outlaw a religious practice, such as wearing a veil? In America we value our freedom of religious expression. But let us not forget the fight that we, as Jews, waged in the Supreme Court and in Congress to win the right to wear a kippah in the Armed Forces. As Jews and people committed to the belief of universal religious freedom I think it is important for us to look at this issue of veiling from a culturally sensitive view and accept the inherent religious association of wearing a hijab instead of discarding it as a racist cultural marker.