Ban the burka?

It is fascinating to read about the ban in Tajikistan (a 95% Muslim country) last year and why it was implemented.

ultimately, regardless of the religious aspect, society is always going to be divided between those who wish a harmonious unified one culture country and those who prefer a libertarian anything goes culture which just becomes a melting pot of different identities. I am on the former in that I think enforced cultural norms is not a bad thing (people on the whole tend to think Japan is wonderful for their general cultural uniformity) but I think we have gone too far on allowing cultural dilution by this point to be able to row back.

We. So us today

I’ve seen 3 in Chester recently, a predominantly white backwater

We are discussing modern life in the UK.

influx of a foreign religion

Jeezy peeps.

Where do you think Christianity originated?

Yep exactly. Just won't be enforced

London isn't really mixed, is it. Areas based on race and religion.

And why do you need people to cover their face in public, you don't. All face coverings in a public building or business should be banned.

Given that the current terrorist attack status in the UK is ‘substantial’, ie, likely, then I think it’s important for matters of security that faces should be visible at all times, especially in public spaces. Police/intelligence need to be able to identify suspects when monitoring and investigating. Let me be clear that that means all face coverings, be it helmets, balaclavas, burkas.

It's ok to say it's not what we want in our society. Women don't cover their face, do they. Not sure why it's so promoted and people love to promote this weird idea.

We need it because we live in communities with these women. That includes communities with women who were were born here, came as children, came recently, can speak the language, who can't. They're already here. There is no feasible way for us to go backwards on that or to completely stop people from coming. And if there were I would fight it tooth and nail. The people I work with are kind, patient, trying their very best to carve out a happy life for themselves.

Immigration and movement of people has been a fact since time immemorial. If you want sensible, humane, limits on numbers or a more rigorous screening process then do that. But I'm sick of these blanket, mean, untrue statements about people I know and love.

I've worked across London in areas that would cause Nigel Farage et ilk to turn beetroot with indignity, and he's just wrong. It is totally possible for people to integrate and for people to get on. I see it every single day.

In the past we didn't need laws banning burkas, but with the influx of a foreign religion which subjugated women, we now need a law.

It's interesting that's the label you took most offence to. 😬

No, I don’t think so. However I think that in any situation where any other face covering would be requested to be removed, they should have to remove it.

Basically I’d ignore the religious aspect and treat it like any other face covering. We allow faces to be covered (scarves, balaclavas, covid face masks etc) but sometimes these must be removed, so treat the burka like that. To me, banning specifically a burka would be stupid, but also pointless if other ways of covering your face remain allowed.

You mustnt meet a lot of women wearing he Burka or living in such communities. For some reason it's more enforced in England than overseas....

I am not a feminist

I believe that face coverings should be banned as a first step at the very least.

The UK is not a Secular state.

If only it were.

Even then, Secularism doesn't necessarily extend to the Government dictating to citizens what they can, and can not wear in their own free time. As much as I desire a UK where religious interference in schools, politics, and sundry other aspects of State and public life is ended, I don't believe it's necessary to begin dictating to people what they can and can not wear. Even if you make the case for the Burka being a religious item in the first place, which is contentious at best, are you also about to stop ministers wearing a dog collar in public places, citizens wearing a crucifix on a chain around their necks, Jews wearing a Kippah?

There are far bigger fish to fry in the secular stakes than dictating to people how they can dress. Personally I couldn't care less if someone wants to wander around 24/7 dressed like the Pope, provided they aren't trying to impose their religious beliefs upon me or compel me to follow their particular religious dogma.

You can make laws of what to wear, just like we tell the naked rambler that's he's a nuisance.

For the good of all women, let's not support a barbaric practice.

Iran it's forced. All women. .

It's nti British culture to cover your face

So you think we should model our laws on Iran? Or is it different when we make laws telling women what to wear? Do you understand the cognitive dissonance here?

France didn't ban it. France has a law that no religious stuff in public. So fair for everyone.

Personally I think no face coverings should be allowed in public

Some of these comments infer that France or Denmark are fascist because they do have these bans! I would not consider that accurate.

I don’t like niqabs or burkas as it makes communication and connection more difficult but don’t think we should be having laws telling women what to wear. It will be a slippery slope to more loss of freedoms (usually womens’). What next? More modest skirt lengths? No bikinis?

At least in France, where they banned it, it was across the board and included yarmulkes for Jews, crucifix for Christians etc but then the right wing types wouldn’t want their religions being included. So let’s be consistent.

I would have more respect for the religious coverings of any kind if men adopted them in the same spirit of piety and sacredness. But no. Always the women restricted, shackled and covered.

And it comes from ancient practices where females were just the property of men and considered dangerous and unclean at times. Dangerous because if a male got aroused, and was even driven to adultery or rape, it was the fault of the wicked temptress. Men take no responsibility for their own sexual desires in these ‘cover the women’ religions. It’s rules of misogny number 1 - women are responsible for what men do.

I would outlaw it tomorrow but unfortunately you can’t outlaw deeply ingrained cultural misogny. Strangely, those who often cling to it the tightest are the women. All you can do is model a more progressive and liberal form of society. And actually what the western world does show is that societies with better gender equality have more economic prosperity and have a better quality of life. Just what God actually wanted for the world.