And there can be little doubt but that if chosen freely, by a competent adult, there is no obvious reason why a burka or niqab should be banned. Free people ought to be allowed to choose -- I am not a fan of tatoos but would never dream of banning them.
But if the burka or niqab is being used to keep women in a state of oppression, and subservient, then perhaps the argument is more complex?
I don't know what I believe -- the burka troubles me, but that may be an unspoken prejudice -- and I am not sure what it is that troubles me about it -- is it oppression of women or is it my unfamiliarity?
Certainly I am not troubled when I see a nun in full habit (and how different is that from a niqab?) -- perhaps I was raised among nuns so do not see them, subconsciously, as a threat ?
Full-body gowns that are worn by the most conservative Muslim women have no place in France, said President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity," Sarkozy said to extended applause in a speech at the Chateau of Versailles, southwest of Paris.
He said the burka - an all-concealing traditional dress, with built-in mesh covering the eyes - is "a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement."
"I want to say solemnly that it will not be welcome on our territory," he said.
Dozens of French legislators have proposed a parliamentary commission to study the small but growing trend of wearing burkas and niqabs.
In France, the terms "burka" and "niqab" often are used interchangeably. The latter is a full-face veil, often in black. Unlike the burka it does not obscure a woman's eyes.
On Friday, government spokesman Luc Chatel told French television the commission could propose legislation aimed at banning the burka in public if it is found to be degrading for women.
In 2004, a law banning the Islamic headscarf and other highly visible religious symbols from French public schools sparked a heated debate on the issue.
Proponents insisted such a ban was necessary to ensure France's schools remain strictly secular, while some Muslims countered the law specifically targeted them and unduly punished Muslim girls.
6 comments:
There is a big difference between a nun in full habit and a woman wearing a niqab. You see the nun's face. And for having been educated by the Congrégation de Notre Dame at a time when they wore a full habit including pointy chin and head gear, I can tell you that I clearly remember the nuns' faces as these head gears accentuated the face - it brought your attention to their face. I like to see the face of the people who stand in front of me and talk to me. Same goes for the court house. I would feel that my rights are being curtailed if I were accused by a person whose face I would not be allowed to see.
And there can be little doubt but that if chosen freely, by a competent adult, there is no obvious reason why a burka or niqab should be banned.
That's a cop out...
Do adult male jews decide to get circumsticed or is that imposed by their parents?
Is religious choice not often imposed by your parents and their social circle?
It's a tough one. By appearance, they represent to my eyes the attempt to obliterate the woman into an object by those viewing the hijab. If it is a representation of devotion to religion, why aren't men wearing them? Aren't they as devoted?
On the other hand, I don't want anyone telling me what I can and can't wear, so why would I tell another woman what she can and cant wear? Rock and a hard place.
If a religious belief includes the subservience and domination of women, should that belief be respected by our society? My view is that no, it shouldn't. Faith should not be treated as some untouchable phenomenon. These women no doubt believe that wearing these garments is fine, but being raised under a religion that degrades women in such a way does not make them into freely choosing, competent adults.
Cherniak_WTF has good point.
I like the way rabbis and muslim leaders wear a little hat on the back of their head. It looks that the oldmen started it to hide their baldness and now it has become a symbol.
Tarak Fatah wrote on Facebook:
Friends,
Perhaps he was encouraged by the sight of millions of Muslim women in Iran demonstrating against the Ayatollah-led dictatorship with not a single burka in sight. Whatever the reason, President Sarkozy has said what other enlightened people are too scared to say. On Monday he told France’s legislators, the burka was not a religious symbol, but a sign of debasement and was “not welcome in France.”
Or perhaps it was the sight of 50,000 Iranian Muslim exiles in Paris chanting ‘death to the dictator’ all day on Saturday (I was fortunate there) that tipped the scale.
Or was it the cold glare of Nida Agha Soltani, starring at him as she lay dying on a street in Tehran, shot by a fascist sniper who killed her in the name of Islam.
Nicolas Sarkozy has said what Jack Straw could only barely utter: Ban the Burka. This black tent is as much a prison for women as the Islamic Republic of Iran is the jail for the Iranian people.
Vive la France.
Tarek
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