… supports a burqa ban. This time it’s the Swiss, in the canton of Ticino.
Opposition to the burqa has been massive over several European countries. Defenders of this full-body shroud specifically designed for little girls and women are in the embarrassing position of having to declare huge swathes of the population of Europe bigots.
Indeed confusion at the ways of democracy reigns among burqa defenders. One defender is baffled by what she calls an “unlikely alliance of rightwing politicians and feminists.”
It’s unlikelier than that. Not just feminists and rightwing politicians but anti-feminists and leftwing politicians seem united in their rejection of outrageous gender oppression in their midst.
September 22nd, 2013 at 9:01PM
If a woman was to visit Saudi Arabia, and go into public without face coverings and certain attire, she would be arrested or possibly beaten. That would be in effect even if she wasn’t Muslim. This is because of some cultural/religious edict in effect in SA and other fundamentalist nations, and women have no right to question or challenge that law.
If a secular nation then says that no one will be allowed to use the face covering because it underscores female repression, then it seems it again takes away a woman’s right to decide what she wants to do. I guess some women feel that this kind of attire is the proper thing to do.
The best argument is the one that makes the most common sense. You can’t run around with a sheet and then claim you can’t take it off because that would violate some fucking religious edict, because we live in places where people need to be identified in order to conduct business. You want to cash a check, you need to be identified. You jaywalk in front of a bus, you need to be identified and ticketed. You attend a secular public school, you need to be identified. Sorry, thems the rules, sort of like them rules back wherever it is you come from….
September 23rd, 2013 at 8:43AM
You don’t have to go to Europe to see burquas and niquabs; just head over to Tysons Corner Mall (the high-end one off Chain Bridge Road) and you will see a fine selection of them. Their wearers are invariably accompanied by men wearing short-sleeve shirts and arrogant expressions.
Charlie: “I guess some women feel that this kind of attire is the proper thing to do.” I’m sure some do. Others fear physical violence from their husbands or brothers should they do otherwise. Still others may have no need to fear physical violence, but fear social ostracism within their families or communities.
Being pretty much a free-speech absolutist, I find this a difficult issue.
September 24th, 2013 at 6:13AM
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September 26th, 2013 at 4:56PM
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