By Mahil Dole –
Mahil Dole
The recent representation made to the government requesting a change in nurses’ attire to suit Muslim women has gone viral, sparking debate and discomfort across social media. While the appeal was made in good faith — to ensure modesty and encourage more Muslim women to join the nursing profession — the discourse that followed has turned divisive, even within the Muslim community itself. Some view the move as a rightful expression of religious identity, while others fear it risks alienating the community and reigniting sensitivities that the nation has yet to fully heal from.
At its core, this issue is not simply about clothing. It reflects the complex balance between religious distinctiveness and national inclusivity in a multi-ethnic, post-conflict society. Uniforms in public service — whether in health or security — symbolize equality, discipline, and neutrality. Any perceived deviation from that ideal can be misinterpreted as a form of special treatment or separation, especially in an environment still marked by mistrust and residual fear.
For the Muslim community, modesty is a principle deeply rooted in faith and dignity. Advocating for attire that reflects this should not be viewed as defiance, but as an effort to make professional spaces more inclusive. However, such advocacy must be pursued through consultation, coordination, and careful communication — not through emotional reactions or fragmented social media campaigns that can easily be twisted or politicized.
We must learn where to draw the line. Emotional involvement or reactive statements often weaken our collective credibility. The true test of wisdom is not in how loud we assert our position, but in how thoughtfully we present it. Strength lies in calm conviction — in knowing when to speak, how to speak, and when restraint itself becomes a statement of maturity.
The path forward requires both sides — the government and the community — to engage in constructive dialogue that respects faith without compromising national unity. Inclusivity is not about creating difference; it’s about ensuring everyone can serve the nation with dignity, professionalism, and mutual respect.
“Muslims can maintain their religious and cultural identity while being fully integrated citizens, demonstrating that faith and nationhood are complementary pillars of peace, progress, and resilience”
*Mahil Dole, SSP (Retired), is the former Head of the Counter-Terrorism Division of the State Intelligence Service of Sri Lanka. With over 40 years of experience in policing and intelligence, he writes on regional security, interfaith relations, and geopolitical strategy. He also a member of the Waqfs Board.
RBH59 / November 5, 2025
Modesty & Professionalism: Knowing Where to Draw the Line
Most people say that face covering prevents identification when an incident occurs. But in reality, during many tragic events, the attackers were not wearing any form of abaya or face covering. For example, during the church bombings, the attackers wore T-shirts; when Rajiv Gandhi was killed, his assassin was also in normal attire; and when S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was assassinated, ordinary traditional clothing….. Today, the real threats come from modern technology — such as drones — which are used for attacks in places like Ukraine. So, it is not the dress that causes harm, but human intention…..In healthcare, covering is essential to prevent the spread of airborne diseases. During the COVID 19 P pandemic, the entire world was required to cover their faces for protection. Ironically, some famous supermarkets that once restricted face coverings later demanded them during the pandemic. …
This clearly shows that opposing modest covering is not based on knowledge, but on misunderstanding and inconsistency.
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Mallaiyuran / November 6, 2025
There appears to be confusion regarding the connection between public identity and security practices. The belief that suicide attackers deliberately left their identities exposed—possibly to claim responsibility and purpose—can lead to the argument that operating office complexes transparently is meaningless. However, this line of reasoning does not address whether the implementation of expensive and perhaps unnecessary security systems, such as surveillance cameras, would result in lower costs for consumers. Politicians, often without a deep understanding of modern marketing and economics, may promise to reduce prices if elected, yet the link between security expenditure and customer pricing remains unsubstantiated in these claims.
Some argue that contemporary threats, such as those posed by drones, have overtaken older forms of attack. However, the emergence of new technologies does not guarantee the abandonment of traditional protective measures. The logic that policing becomes unnecessary because criminals adapt and find new methods is flawed; security measures must evolve to address both old and new forms of threat.
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Mallaiyuran / November 6, 2025
Hospitals serve as places of healing for patients who have worked hard, paid taxes, and seek relief from pain and suffering. Patients have the right to know about the one providing the treatments. Uniform is and assurance from hospital for the patient of equal treatment. Rebelling against that brings suspicion and fears. These facilities should not be sites for religious fanatics to assert dominance or for individuals to pursue employment based on political favoritism. The rights of patients are paramount and should not be overshadowed by employees installed through political influence, or by those engaged in illicit activities such as smuggling gold and narcotics and bribing politicians. Increasing the fundamental right of employees is not the most deserved of the patients who are in pain. Right to employment in some community, Like Lankawe’s Islamic community, is more desperate than others. MMDA’s freedom to easily divorce a faithful and dedicated woman render many families’ females dependent on government. Not just employment, now these women need additional protection of the main law, tearing the mask of the MMDA, which created this desperate situation.
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Mallaiyuran / November 6, 2025
The explanation for the imposition of the MMDA (Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act), which is criticized for harassment, is inadequate. Notably, the MMDA is not advocated by sharia law and its enforcement upon Tamil women and underage female children disregards their longstanding rights under Thesavalamai law. Thesavalamai is protecting the North East woman, from an unknown historical past, parallel to which was not available in Greek or Roman civilization. Only in recent times have most modern Western democracies begun to focus on protecting women’s rights. Specifically, the Western religions’ deficiency on woman rights was well noticed, which come from Aryan Superiority theories and need to protect women not becoming impregnated by non-Ariyan males. All the stagnation culture of religious bigotry against women prompts important discussions regarding the safeguarding of women’s rights and whether it is appropriate to apply external legal systems to long-standing, stagnating, women bigotry religious cultural traditions. The two, many forms of Christianity, and Judaism are relaxing their grip, sensitively, but Islam is tightening, further. Entire Islamic community, not just Lankaweyans, should consider Thesavalamai principles, these are secular, non-linguist bent laws.
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Lester / November 5, 2025
Women are being forced to don such attire. It is not their personal choice. A very misogynistic ideology that does not believe in equal rights for women, but condones child marriage and polygamy.
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ramona therese fernando / November 6, 2025
Maybe a head scarf for a hot humid country like Sri Lanka. In any case, nurses have their hair tied up or in a cap so that their hair does not get in the way of contaminating both them and patient. But any more fabric that covers a woman so tightly, as in the picture, will only work in cool climes or hospitals rich enough for air-conditioning.
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Mohamed Marzook UK / November 6, 2025
‘Muslim nurses in the UK are permitted to wear uniforms that align with their religious requirements, provided they comply with health and safety standards. Following lobbying from groups like the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA), NHS England issued specific guidance in 2020 to accommodate the clothing requirements of Muslim and other faith-based staff. Key adjustments are made in two main areas: head coverings and sleeve length. Head coverings (hijab) Permitted and standard: The NHS guidance explicitly permits the wearing of hijabs, or other head coverings, on religious grounds. Hygiene in sterile environments: In surgical theatres, where infection control is paramount, specific options are permitted: Cloth hijabs: Can be worn if they are clean, securely fastened, and laundered at a specific temperature (e.g., 60°C). Disposable headwear: Single-use disposable hijabs or theatre caps are also permitted. No overlapping caps: There is no requirement to wear an additional surgical cap over a theatre-appropriate hijab. Sleeve length “Bare below the elbow” policy: For direct patient care, NHS policy has a strict “bare below the elbow” rule to ensure effective handwashing and reduce infection risk. This has traditionally been a point of conflict for Muslim women who wish to keep their forearms covered.
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ekelbroom / November 6, 2025
The essence of the stipulated Islamic dress code for males and females as defined in the Holy Book is ‘to dress modestly at all times’. The dictionary defines the word ‘Modest’ as ‘Observing conventional proprieties in speech, behavior, or dress, especially in the avoidance of arousing sexual interest’
The implementation of the Islamic Dress Code in a specific region would be dependent on the social, cultural and climatic conditions of that location. Unfortunately however, it appears that in the process of interpreting the Quran by Arab Scholars, the fact that the Arab dress code is referred to in the Holy Book and in the Traditions has resulted in the belief that Islam sanctifies the Arab dress code and more critically has resulted in the Arab dress code being promoted as the Islamic Dress Code
Isn’t the Dress Code of a specific country determined by it’s own climatic conditions, it’s socio-cultural factors and religious influences rather than that of some country 1000’s of miles away ?
Do non-Arab Muslims have to imitate Arabs in speech, behaviour and dress if they are to be ‘good’ Muslims ?
Can’t a person be a ‘good’ Muslim without observing the Arab dress codes ?
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