Dutch want Burqa Ban

[shesulsa]

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The Dutch government announced plans Friday for legislation banning full-length veils in public places and other clothing that covers the face — putting the Netherlands at the forefront of a general European hardening toward Muslim minorities.

The Netherlands, once considered one of Europe’s most welcoming nations for immigrants and asylum seekers, is deeply divided over moves by the government to stem the tide of new arrivals and compel immigrants to assimilate into Dutch society.

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[Rich Parsons]

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While I find this hard to swallow and do not agree with it, but it brings to mind a local court case where the lcoal Muslim community sued for all public pool attendees the be dressed in full body swim suits.

While I would understand them not being allowed in a Bank (* Use an outside ATM - Yes it sucks *), as if someone walks in with a mask on then security is warned.

I find that is part of the problem, that they want to preserve their way of life but they want everyone else to change. Yet, if they ask them to change they are being pursecuted.

I will have to think on this one. As on one hand I understand the security issues. On the other if there is religious freedom then should the type of dress be allowed, and if it is what about nature lovers or druids or whom ever that might want to go nude in public. We had laws against public nudity, why not laws for total coverage? In a weird point of view it would cover both sides as a compromise, but it still seems wrong to me. Mind you most people I would not want to see nude, but if there is religious freedom, when does the actions of someone influence another? Is the shock of a nude person acceptable? Is the fear of not understanding the way someone dresses acceptable?

Or should people just tolerate all and take responsibility for their own action.

Like I said, I do not like any solution I can think of.

 

[Kacey]

It's not just the Netherlands, and it's not just Muslims - the French banned religious garb of all types in public schools, and included yarmulkes, the skullcaps worn by Orthodox Jewish men.

When French President Jacques Chirac endorsed a recent proposal to prohibit French schoolchildren from wearing religious clothing in public schools, the United States was quick to criticize him.
[portion omitted]
If you think the problem doesn't exist here, try wearing your turban to the St. Louis courtroom of federal judge Michael Reagan. Last year, Reagan threatened to evict several fez-wearing spectators who came to observe a trial. When a woman protested that she was wearing a hat to show respect for her lord, the judge told her to "please leave, take it off, and come back in, or do not come back in. The choice is yours." The judge also made it clear that he was an equal-opportunity offender. When asked whether he would have been as dismissive of more traditional religious practices, Judge Reagan replied: "Jews will not wear yarmulkes. I am Catholic, and the pope would not wear a miter."

A BBC-sponsored debate on the topic can be found here, and began with this statement:

The French parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a ban on Islamic headscarves and all other overt religious symbols from state schools.
The bill was carried by a massive majority of 494 votes to 36.
Polls suggest most French people support the ban but it has outraged some Muslims and other religious communities.
President Jacques Chirac has said the ban is necessary to preserve the national principle of secularity.

A large number of other articles are also available; I found a quite a few through a google search on the terms "france hat band yarmulke". In reading through these articles, there is a great deal of speculation that this ban is political in nature, and other non-Muslim religions were included in the deliberately non-specific language to avoid the appearance that Muslims were being targeted.