Has everyone seen the photo of the Archbishop of Canterbury presenting an award to Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi? If not, please have a look

[TheStateWeAreIn]

I don’t know what to say really, I just want as many women on MN as possible to see this picture.

Particularly Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi‘s wife.

There’s so much going on there.

(I know there’s another thread about the award and it’s subsequent withdrawal, I just wanted to start a thread to focus on the photo)

Yes. I didn't like it because I thought he was being too obvious and overdoing it, but it seems he might have understood the target audience better than I did. I can admit when I'm wrong.

You’ll have to forgive me, but I’ve not “got” him yet? Is he a satire?

Yes, trouble is it's hard to tell because there's so many people who believe this stuff especially the higher up you go in society: Britain has no culture, British values don't exist, white British men are ghastly gammons, Islam is a religion of peace, the niqab is empowering, we are being enriched by the flotilla of small boats that rock up on our shores every day ... it's way beyond parody.

I worked in the public and charity sector and they were awash with it.

He's entirely unserious. I thought he was trying to wind people up by saying ridiculous stuff about getting closer to God and how he wishes he could wear a niqab but he's just so creative and expressive but it's fabulous and all that (he's on another thread where a woman is considering starting an affair, telling her to shag the guy and then decide based on whether he's any good - no word on whether you take the niqab off first). But it seems he might have been trying to get people to agree and passionately lap it up instead. If so, kudos.

Ah, so I’ve fallen for it too by getting outraged! Doh! 😂

Many apologies from me too as I got on the outrage bus far too soon. Well played “Debbie” 👏

Still not seeing the satire in Debbie's post. Which bits do you object to? Or are you just thinking anything you disagree with is satire now?

The only thing that is oppressive in all this are the women who seem to think it is their business to police how women from other cultures live their life. So what if they decide they want to wear the niqab instead of a T-shirt and leggings? Modesty is a very important virtue to some communities and if it helps them feel closer to God then why can't you just be happy for them?

You don't even know the difference between hijab and niqab, so you really need to educate yourself.

Still not seeing the satire ... priceless.

Snort!

Truth spoken in jest is still truth.

In the caption on the photo accompanying the BBC website article, Ashrafi glories in all five of his names as the first named person. Mulally, the second named, gets her Damehood recognised in the caption as the honorific prefix before her name. The other two women in the photo are not named at all, even though the one in the middle is wearing a medal on a blue ribbon around her neck in later photos so presumably she was also given a Lambeth award of some kind or jointly awarded the same one.

Even when I was a kid at local fêtes and school prize days, the photographer for the local paper would take the photos then ask and carefully note down all the names of everyone in the photo, except unidentifiable blurry randoms accidentally in the background who weren't named, because they were irrelevant.

Yes, well there we have an example of BBC journalism at its finest*

(* sarcastic comment, to avoid any misunderstanding).

She could have been labelled “chattel” or “goods”. This would show cultural respect, surely.

And of course we don’t even know if that was his wife in there. It could have been anyone for all we can see.

Exactly. Why did he even bother taking his wife? I’m sure anyone of either gender standing around could have been a convenient stand in for the photo; that’s how anonymous and dehumanising the niqab is.

Well, the Overton window really has shifted in a hideous direction when we have folks actively calling women from marginalised backgrounds 'chattel' because they have the audacity to don themselves in a different form of cultural attire than them.

I can't help but think this all comes from a place of deepseeted jealousy. Like, you can choose to wear one yourself you know?

iIt is the year 2026- of a women is going to be a photo standing by her husband whilst he collects an award, I would jolly well expect her to be named as she was standing next to him. I would also like to see the emotion on her face as that is a big part of human interaction and showed her feelings about it. Was she happy? Proud? Nervous? Regardless of her choice of what she wears, she was not treated as a human in that photo and people on this thread are rightly upset about it. I’m upset for her honestly as we know nothing about her. I know you like to provoke @debbiebut people do feel the way you have written and it is just very sad.

My DH made a good point.

When old Ashrafi kicks the bucket and heads off to his 72 virgins in paradise, will they also be dressed head to toe in a niqab?

Somehow, I very much doubt it.

Tbf when home alone with her husband she may prance around in just a G-string. As might Ashrafi!

Sorry!

I think he has to martyr himself to qualify for that.
Women of course are 'satisfied' with only one husband in the afterlife. Understandable really., if he's a decent chap, one is enough, if he's an arse, well it's not exactly heaven.

I'd assume the Archbishop would have had a good chat with her. It would be very odd indeed if she hadn't spoken. Maybe the Archbishop knows her? Or she only donned the niqab for the photo?
Incidentally the wife of the billionaire donor to Reform what's his name- the one in Hong Kong- his wife has no social media presence and there are no photos. Lots of ceremonies, no wife.

OR
Her husband is a vile misogynist who took her and her daughter along
so he did not have to touch the hands of the white woman.

What is her name ?
What is their daughters name ?

The Reform donor's wife might be ashamed of him uncomfortable to be in the public eye. Or do you think he has her chained up in a dungeon? 🤔

If Ashrafi's wife would similarly rather stay even more anonymous it's a pity she was dragged along, possibly just to insulate him from accepting something directly from the Arch B.

I hope she did have a nice chat with the Arch B. I'm assuming she can speak English or there was some other common language. Perhaps the daughter was there to translate otherwise she seems a little superfluous?

Perhaps the daughter was there to show the varying degrees of male dominance/misogyny as the younger woman “only” had to wear a black mask and scarf. She was at least able to show around 5cm of forehead so I assume she was modelling the more “progressive oppressive” outfit?

Or she's a floozy.

' touch the hands of a white woman's
What are you referring to?