URN

The special debate on the politics of the Niqab

URN’s The Big Picture and UoN Feminists collaborated to discuss the politics of the niqab.

The niqab has been a topic of much discussion in the media recently. We wanted to provide a platform at the University of Nottingham for a diverse panel of speakers to talk about it.

Our panel of speakers included:
Bessima Dargham from Islam Society, who has interviewed niqabi women.
Lauren Selfe, a PhD student, researching representations of Muslim women in contemporary German culture.
Emma Pearce, a member of UoN Feminists and presenter of URN’s The Pulse.
Nathan Chalk, a member of UoN Feminists and President of Debating Union.
Yasmin Talsi, SU Black and Ethnic Minorities Officer.

Our Chair David Hayes, introduced the debate and our panel.

Our first debate tonight focussed on the benefit changes that had come into effect over the Easter break - including the bedroom tax, the universal credit and the capping of housing benefit.

Our second debate was on our dear friend North Korea, their recent posturing and whether they represented a credible threat to the west, China or nobody at all.

And our final debate centred around the proposal that pornography should be used in sex education to give children better, more realistic body images and prepare them for the 'hyper-sexualised' culture we live in.

Thanks very much for listening, we hope you'll join us next thursday at 6pm!