 Posted: Sun 18:36, 22 May 2011 Post subject: Belgium Bans the Burqa |
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| The Telegraph
As previously mentioned France looks set to be the next country to pass a ‘burqa ban’ as the French cabinet has ratified draft legislation that could be passed in parliament in July despite warnings from the French State Council that such legislation may not be legal. However a vote on similar legislation in Australia, in New South Wales, brought a widespread rejection of such a bill as questions of freedom are being rapidly addressed in an age of universal multiculturalism. This legislation raises important questions for every country about freedom of religion and freedom of expression,David Cameron Yet to Convince Voters in Latest UK Polling, such as: The wearing of the burqa has recently become the symbol of an ongoing debate in Christian Europe over the supposed ‘Islamification’ of Western society. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is a high profile opponent to the wearing of the burqa in public. Sarkozy and other French opponents to the burqa cite it as representative of the oppression of women, and therefore incompatible with modern French values. SourcesThe Guardian Of course the issue of freedom of religion and expression varies from country to country. In the United States the First Amendment to the constitution supposedly prevents the government from taking action to impede freedom of religion or freedom of speech. Similarly in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms the freedoms of religion, thought and expression all come under the heading of ‘fundamental freedoms’. Responses to the Burqa Ban Should the government pass laws on what people can or cannot wear?If such laws are passed should religious items of clothing be exempt?In increasingly multicultural societies is the outright ban of garments that are identifiable with a minority culture a step backwards? In the aforementioned countries that place a particular value on individual rights and freedoms (the US and Canada) it is likely that the reaction to the idea of banning certain items of clothing will be similar to that seen in Australia. Yet despite racial tensions between divergent cultures being present in all of these countries it is evident that not only do some value personal freedoms more than others, but also that it is not universally accepted that best way to deal with the cultural problems the burqa poses is an outright ban. Opponents to this legislation across Europe point to the European Convention on Human Rights as a document that makes this legislation in Belgium, and legislation pending in France,Caring for Roses Organically A Guide to Earth-Friendly Rose Gardening, not only illegal but incompatible with the values of the European Union. On April 29 2010 the lower house of the Belgian parliament unanimously passed a ban on a veiling of the face that does not allow the wearer to be fully identified, this includes the item of clothing largely identified with Islam known as the burqa. As well as being presented as a liberation of women this ban has also been praised as targeting extremists, though in Belgium the ban could be more obviously identified as an affront to the Belgian Muslim community that makes up 6% of the population. The Times of India Problems with a Burqa Ban Even in cases where support for a ban appears unanimous, such as Belgium, these questions and issues have come to the fore. Read on A Burqa Ban could Adversely Affect Integration Efforts French Burqa Ban to Reduce Radical Islam Threat? Wearing Burqa: A Choice or a Sign of Oppression International Reactions to the Burqa Ban |
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