These people were all GIRLS by the way. Boys – no problem, tell them straight. Girls – I can’t tell them they stink, can I? It’s down to you Fe’reeha, as a girl. If you don’t tell stinky hairy women to sort their act out (look more like THIS) then we’re all doomed.

Now enough of this banter, it’s gone mindless. I’ve shaken burqas out of you (and not the other way round, mind you) and that’s the end of it!

Facial hair or warts, yes inexcusably rude. Because doctors’ looks have NO BEARING on their treatment of patients.

Dirty nails, not at all. Because this is a health issue and affects you , the patient.
Quite simple really.

Fe’reeha, if a doctor is dirty and you are offended by their personal hygiene, then they are breaking the standards set for a doctor. You have a right to complain, I don’t actually think sitting stoically and keeping “my personal fears and bias towards facial hair and dirty nails hidden while I was in my doc’s chambers” is sensible. In fact, it’s the opposite of what you should do.

Thus comparing it to someone being required to keep quiet about a doctor who obscures their face is meaningless. If someone feels uncomfortable with a doctor whose face is covered, they can’t ask them to take it off – they’re offended their religious sensibilities and SHOCK HORROR that’s the worst crime in the world tauba tauba tauba. Asking someone to wash is not illegal, telling someone they should change their religious practices is now ILLEGAL.

There is NO case for the burqa Fe’reeha. I never thought you would be on this side of the fence having read much of your writing in the past. You’re now saying that being ugly is a reason to cover up? What?! You’re advocating women with low self esteem due to no fault of their own covering themselves up to avoid society? Instead why not criticise society or the fashion world for making them feel ugly. A woman who is so weak she has to cover her face for the reason of LOOKS needs counselling, not a burqa.

I think it’s pretty clear neither I nor Mirax are Islamophobes, from all we’ve said on this site. But we both feel similarly – it’s idiotic. It’s not at all a requirement of the religion, it’s a vehicle for female oppression and it’s an offence to every human being. It’s a deliberate attempt to distance oneself from society at large and it’s an instant wall of mistrust. It’s also a security risk. How do you KNOW the person treating you is a doctor, you can’t compare them to their ID card can you?

In fact I let her do her work and did not even say one single unpleasant word. I think that comes in the bracket of being tolerant.
All I am saying is the way I could keep my personal fears and bias towards facial hair and dirty nails hidden while I was in my doc’s chambers, why can’t the others do the same?
As Rohin has said that the hair could be the result of harmonal disturbance, maybe a burka clad woman has some pschological reasons to cover up the way she wants to. Why is that argument not acceptable when it comes to burka.
I cannot believe I am fighting the case of a burka. There has to be a start for everything.

Fair enough. But as Rohin points out, that is easily achieved by either talking to the doctor directly or by the means of a complaint to the right authorities. But this is not about hygiene, I suspect, just one person’s intolerance.

What if she had an endocrine condition that meant she had facial hair? It happens. Should she be penalised?

What if she hit every branch on the ugly tree and had Quasimodo and Anne Widdecombe for parents? It’s not her fault. Warts aren’t necessarily a result of dirt.

Dirty hands – complain, don’t be afraid. Ugly doctor – well, you can’t all be treated by me (teehee!) so you’ll have to deal with it. Is your solution covering up people when they’re ugly? Does that say something about covered up Muslim women? Are they the real uggos?!

Ah I’m just pulling your leg, but can’t say you don’t deserve it! Irrespective…I want to meet this doctor.

Is there a competition between a burka and facial warts? I would still rather vote for the burka. What I can’t see, probably won’t hurt as much as what I can.
And is a clean hair free face coming under aesthetic sense now? I thought it was plain requirement of a civilised way of life, isn’t it?
And I am not exaggerating! Why will I do it?

Thanks Rohin, for telling me about the poser. But seriously do you think we can actually ask a doctor to wash their hands and cut their nails without asking them? Usually I have never come across a doctor who played with my sense of cleanliness, it was an odd experience, but the hair did disturb me more than the hands.

I have never encountered a doctor with dirt encrusted finger nails (you seem to be exaggerating) and if I ever did, I would make damn sure that she cleaned up instead of wishing that she’d just simply hide it all away from view.

Lack of grooming is a separate issue from veiling and the two are not mutually exclusive btw.

Expect to see us washing our hands before every patient, but if you don’t think we’ve done it – IT’S OK TO ASK.

So don’t be afraid to speak up! I don’t mind patients telling me to wash my hands.

Are you sure she was a doctor and not Snowwhite’s stepmum? Didn’t offer you an apple?

Yet, I had an appointmnet with a doctor, and,…well, I do not know how to explain myself. The thing is the doc was not in viel, she was actually wearing a short skirt and tight blouse, but she had not even bothered to wash her face. Her hair was tangled, and she had warts and facial hair. I mean there was hair, long thick creepy hair actually coming out of warts, eeeeeew! And I am not kidding.
Manicure was probably a concept alien to her, and her nails were rough, coarse and full of dirt and god knows what? I have no objection to her being the way she was, but if someone is examining me with those hands, I think I have every right to complain.
(I can give the name and address of the doctor off line). The thing is I would rather have my doctor in viel if this is what I have to see. Should’nt there be a law on facial cleanliness etc for doctors?
Seriously? Am I sounding rude? Or am I just making a sound and reasonable demand?