Tops on them towers

minaret
An old man stopped me when I was photographing the new mosque. “See they got tops on them towers.” He commented. “Looks a lot better.” I replied. There was an awkward silence. “Well.” He said, with a rising intonation. I was left wondering whether this was local ambivalence or a sign of hardening attitudes. I suspect the latter. To make matters worse we now seem to be embroiled in an unholy row over niqabs and hijabs and how they might or might not interfere with teaching and learning. I ask you! Banning has to be the worst approach, but here goes an HE institutions banning the niqab. Thank goodness there’s still the voice of reason. I don’t mind admitting I wear weird clothes…and at last we have a decent pair of minarets in Sheffield.