Behind the Mask

I was standing in the condiments section of Waitrose grocery in London, trying to determine what "scrumpy" meant, and whether or not I wanted scrumpy cider in my applesauce, when I became aware of someone standing close to me. I looked down to see a pair of Nikes and red flannel material decorated with Curious George monkeys. Pajamas. They were mostly covered by the long black abaya worn by devout Muslim women.

I've often thought that the abaya is rather convenient if you don't feel like getting dressed, and here was the proof.

I turned to see her face and was jolted to find that I could not. On the streets of London one becomes used to the hidjab, the head covering that leaves the face visible. I am still startled to see the face covering that leaves only the eyes apparent, but I can handle it.

This woman's face was covered entirely with a black veil. I could see nothing but cloth. Maybe I should have asked her if she needed help finding something on the shelf (how could she see?), but my first reaction was fear.

Is this unusual?

Are any of us truly comfortable when we cannot see the face of the human being in front of us? We might attend a costumed Carnival or Halloween party, entirely in the festive mood, masked ourselves, and still find it disconcerting to talk to another masked face. Or is it just me?

This woman was a black apparition in the aisles of Waitrose. Those monkey pajamas suggested she had a sense of humor and that eased my discomfort. But thoughts can't always be controlled and it crossed my mind that she (or maybe he?) could be a suicide bomber right there in the aisle with the scrumpy cider applesauce.

Would it have crossed your mind, too?

In the States recently journalist Juan Williams was fired from National Public Radio (NPR) for saying he felt uncomfortable when he encountered what appeared to be an extremist Muslim on the plane with him.

In airports right after September 11, the fear he spoke of was palpable, and traditionally-garbed Arabs were regarded suspiciously. Some travelers refused to get on planes with them. It was ironic because those who perpetrated the attack had taken pains to appear as Western as possible.

Even the most rational person can let fear make them irrational.

It is a comfort to me that our many Muslim friends have the same reactions I do to coming face to face (or should I say face to cloth?) with something none of us understands. They dislike the extremist wing of Islam as much as many of us dislike extreme Christian fundamentalism or ultra-conservative Judaism.

I am not sure any extremist group cares whether they are understood or not, though. If we're not with them, we are against them. Maybe that irrational attitude makes us have irrational fears when we encounter them.

Meanwhile, I've been thinking I might have tried to look beyond the veil and asked the woman next to me in Waitrose if she knew what scrumpy cider was and whether applesauce was better with or without it.

Rationality has to start somewhere.