Banning the Burqa?

Question

The Netherlands government is proposing a law to ban the wearing of the Burqa in public places.

Is this a reasoned, necessary law, or an over-reaction fuelled by fear and mistrust?

Will the law make the lives of non-Muslims better? Will it make the lives of Muslim women better? Or is it another step down the road to all-out hostility between the Christian and Muslim worlds?

Answer 1

Banning the Burqa - sounds ridiculus

Netherlands always wants to be on other side of spectrum. Governments usually put ban on less clothing not on more clothing.

It is defineatly a over-reaction, if it is true. Only logical reason could be that anyone can hide behind "Burqa". But still it is not a good enough reason to ban over clothing.

If implemented, it won't help Dutch society in anyways, probably it will further segregate the Muslims.

Answer 2

I find the burqa and the niqab personally offensive.

Women who wear them are basically saying "Men are so untrustworthy that if they caught sight of any part of me they would turn into rapists".

I find this disgusting, and would support any move to ban these awful garments.

They help to create mistrust among different communities.

You want to wear a burqa - go do it in Riyadh or Lahore, not Amsterdam.

PS Old Know all has it wrong on 2 points.

1. The Netherlands HAS had this debate - see the link below.

2. There is a HUGE difference between a burqa and a wimple. With a burqa you can't see the woman's face, and she can only see through a slit or grille at her eyes. A wimple only covers the hair, like the Muslim hijab.

Answer 3

I agree with Scott B, long have Europeans allowed other religions behave in whatever way they want, and build whatever houses of worship they want to etc etc etc.

When we visit places like Saudi, Iran and even Turkey etc, we are made to behave like they do, cover ourselves up and toe their line. They give no leeway, why should we?

I say "when in Rome" and this must work both ways.

Personally I'm getting a little sick of this, why can't we all be the same, and act the same. I say ban religion..........?? I also say the burqa has absolutely no place in a balanced modern society, neither have extremist views.

Anyway, there are actually only a few dozen women in The Netherlands that wear the burqa anyway. If they insist on wearing them, let them go to Baghdad or somewhere. The French banned religious symbols in schools, why should the Dutch not ban burqas?

Answer 4

this is a tough call. but now they have done it, i would have to say that i support it. whilst i understand that for some muslim women this is an important issue, the is the fact that the cultural background of europe is not one that involves face covering. i think there is also the aspect that it is a derogatory law in islam that women should cover in this way, and by taking this step the dutch are saying that it is unacceptable.
bottom line, if there are muslim people who object to the law, there are many countries that make it law to wear one in which they can go and live. it now becomes a question of priority... what is more important to them.
hostility towards christians in a christian country is bad manners! if a christian majority country wants to assert itself then it has that right if they feel that another culture is infringing on their way of life and expectations.
security is the real reason for it, and i think with just cause... any muslim who can't understand that in this current climate and has cause to argue will need to have his loyalty questioned.

Answer 5

a million) Criminals of all sorts (homicide,Thief,Terrorist,Rapist etc.) they could actually conceal their faces in public. -> yet motorcyclists are in public, so effectively motorcycles could could be banned - how can they positioned on an entire helmet less than your common sense 2)Why ban a hoody in public places, yet not a Burqa? in words of fabric masking a face, they are one and a similar. If some thing, a Burqa covers better than a hoody. -> best - a hoody or balaclava ought to be criminal if a burqa is 3) imposing fines for breaking a regulation are one in all Britains greatest earning, (is smart would not it, taking money off of those who damage the regulation, for the betterment of those who do not) besides... if a superb were to be presented, it would carry money into the monetary device. not compared to p.c. cameras. -> incorrect - p.c. cameras honestly fee money to run it is been printed 4) Nowhere in religious scripture is there a call for to conceal the face, so a ban assaults no faith. -> not fairly correct, the religious scriptures are literally not area of our guidelines 5) Burqas would nicely be worn through someone, of any race, so it isn't racism to impose a ban. -> it will be racist if the incentive replaced into restriction of a particular crew, see my note on motorcyclists, would you enable motorcyclists to proceed? 6) A ban will carry communities closer at the same time as any face masking, i.e a mask or a hoody, is socially withdrawn and forces communities appart. -> I doubt it can have a lot bring about that section

Answer 6

No clothing should be banned in this country if its for everyday use.
But if its a legal requirement (drving test ID for eg) or common sense ,(schoolteacher) then obviously that person should be allowed to progress no further until they remove it.
I am totally uncomfortable with someone in my company wearing such anti social clothing designed to prevent social interraction.
However, we need to set example to a backward people such as muslims and that is not to control lives to such an extent where we choose the type of clothing they wear .
What many people dont realise also , is that the burqa is not religious attire.The teachings of the quran does NOT require the wearing of such clothing.The burqa, originally used to protect male and female nomads from the harsh desert sands has become a way for muslim men to oppress their women.
Sometimes , a left wing tv documentary will parade an educated muslism woman , who in perfect english will tell us how its a personal choice.
But the real truth without the leftist propaganda is that it is not a personal choice.And even sometimes when they say it is, they know thewy have to return to a violent domestic life and would never oppose the will of the husband, father,cousins etc in a male dominated islamic community.
So, should we ban .
No
should we educate these women and put pressure on the males of their backward thinking families
yes!

Answer 7

I am afraid that some African tribe will require to leave all cloths before leaving an airport one day - the Netherlands already made efforts in this direction.

One may call any reasins, but intervention into personal sphere is very bad, not only for religious reasons. These women will not feel equally well if they used to wear the burqa.

Answer 8

YES! I think it is necessary, we need to see the faces of our countrymen, especially the people who may have a grudge against us. Remember the Muslims don't care if they kill themselves, their wives or their kids when they are wanting to bomb our citizens and our land, so yeah we need to see who they ALL are. It's about time we really started taking some proper action against these people. Make them see that living in the UK is about living free and living as a Scot, an Englishman, Irishman or Welshman doesn't mean covering your face up! I think the government should rake through our land and deport any Muslim they find. Clean our country, we're not allowed to throw litter or we're fined yet our countries are littered with these people.

Answer 9

I don't thing the Burqa is the real problem, from a security point of view it has to be the full veil.

I just don't see how in the current climate of terrorism we can allow anyone to walk around with no way of telling who they are.
Your just asking every terrorist on the planet male or female to start wearing one.

If i put on a black balaclava and walked into a Bank, Post office. Airport or School it wouldn't take too long before i was looking down a barrel owned by an armed policeman and quite right too.

Answer 10

A new urban myth perhaps.

The Netherlands Government has not proposed any such law.

The Netherlands is one of the most tolerant societies in Europe and such a ban would be against their culture.

Although there are a large number of Christians and Muslims in the Netherlands, it is a secular state.

Christians have nothing against Muslim women wearing burqas. Until recently, nuns wore wimples. Not many people can tell the difference.