Your recent article entitled 'Culture clash' discussed the commonalities and differences between English and Sharia family law guidelines and the need for English lawyers to be aware of the significance of Sharia law when advising Muslim clients on matrimonial and family issues in the UK (see [2006] Gazette, 15 December, 14). The issues raised were not new to family practitioners but, as a lawyer who is also a Muslim, I nonetheless found the article interesting.


However, I was disappointed that the Gazette found it necessary to bolster the article by the use of a photograph of a woman dressed in a black headscarf and face veil (the jilbab). I fail to see what relevance this lady's image had to the contents of the article.



The Gazette appears to have fallen into line with the wider UK media of adopting the image of the jilbab as the only image of Muslims in this country, that is, an image of separation.



For the record, only a small proportion of UK Muslim women adopt the wearing of the jilbab, which even within Muslim communities is a hotly debated topic. This article had nothing to do with that debate, however, and, as such, the use of the image was unnecessary and ill-judged.



Azher Quyoom, Leeds