Five days before a national election here, the center-right government announced Friday that it planned to introduce legislation to ban burqas and similar garments in public places, saying the full-body garb worn by a small number of Muslim women in the Netherlands posed a grave security threat.I’m in two minds about it. It is a security risk, no doubt, in terms of terrorists on a mission but I hardly see how it is in daily life. It is unpleasant to deal with someone with two beady eyes watching you behind a black barrier but equally, the move to ‘ban’ gets into the whole issue of first banning this and then that. What do you think?
Having lived and worked in some muslim countries, I much prefer the progressive muslims and their more liberal dress. I didn't feel that there was a huge difference in the values of the people. I find the burqua a bit scary. I listened to the Dutch Minister this morning and their point was basically similar to Jack Straw, that it was a barrier. I do think that if I was Muslim in Holland, I would feel that I and other muslims were being attacked.
ReplyDeleteThere should be a day in the year (the hottest) when Muslim men wear full burquas to the mosque just so they can feel what it is like
ReplyDeleteand whether they think Allah really likes half the population to endure this discomfort and handicap while the other half does not.
Terribly indecisive of me but you know, I still don't know which way to turn on this issue.
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