Summary: Bans on buses and trains, punishable by fines and even prison sentences: Belgium is seeking to restrict the public wearing of the full body veil. A parliamentary committee voted for a similar anti-burka-law - Muslims protest and warn of stigma.
Article: The Belgian Parliament has a burqa ban on the way. The ban could be the first in Europe. The Interior Committee of the House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday in Brussels, it now goes to the plenary. If approved, garments such as the burqa, the niqab, and the face veil will no longer be allowed to be worn in public. It's not just about the headscarf.
Without naming the burqa, the ban will apply to any person who hides in public, "her face fully or partially, or veiled, so that one can not identify them," says the draft. Specifically excluded are motorcyclists and firefighters - people who have to wear a helmet or mask because of work.
This is a bad trend. A couple of days ago, E.U. and Swiss representatives on the right were talking about banning minarets. We have France trying to ban headscarfs.
This demonstrates an obvious desire by some to attack Islam and a clear conflict between cultures that while living in the same cities are moving away from one another. This stems from the fact that many Muslims in Europe are not integrating into society. They are creating their own Islamic worlds and in some cases, trying to enforce Islamic law. Europeans see this and are understandably repulsed. But this is no reason to run off and oppress someone's religious or cultural freedom to wear a standard dress. Burqas don't hurt me and they do not hurt you. They certainly are not hurting European society.
Update: after further discussion I posted this on the European society and offensive dress.
The deeper question here involves women's rights...the right to be free from what some consider to be an oppressive costume and an attack on women's rights or the right of a woman to wear what she wishes for whatever reason. To delve deeper, how many women truly want to wear the burka? We really don't know. Lets not assume we understand the hearts and minds of Muslim women and lets not look down at these people as brainwashed souls.
I believe Muslims must take a hard look at their behavior in their new countries. It is a two way street and Muslims must pro-actively begin to integrate into European society in many of the ways that they have in America. They must understand that they have chosen to live in a new culture and can no longer pretend they are still in their own. Some behaviors must be left behind.
I believe Europeans and Americans must think twice about our assumptions in regards to Islam and its customs. When we attempt to oppress their religious freedom, we show how little regard they should hold for our own. When we assume what is best for their women, we show our past tendencies to oppress our own.
Our cultures will continue to collide until both sides begin to grow.
Cross posted at Wordpress
