Because, you see, every group can assert its own culture except Westerners. A follow-up to this story from AP, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
Amsterdam: A Muslim political leader in the Netherlands on Wednesday dismissed as "ridiculous" a motion in parliament to forbid women from wearing burqas in public, calling it an overreaction to an issue that barely exists in the country.A motion to ban burqas robes that cover the entire body and veil the face passed in an 80-70 vote in parliament late on Tuesday, and the government is drafting a Bill to make the proposal into law....
It is "an overreaction to a very marginal problem" because hardly any Dutch women wear burqa, said Ayhan Tonca of the Muslim political organisation known by its acronym CMO. "It's just ridiculous," Tonca told The Associated Press.
The idea was proposed by maverick lawmaker Geert Wilders, a politician known for his criticism of religious fundamentalism and for his anti-immigration policies. Wilders has received death threats from radicals.
Burqas are "medieval, and unfriendly to women", Wilders said in a telephone interview. "This measure will serve to promote integration by preventing Muslim women from separating themselves from Dutch society, and by giving comfort and support to moderate Muslims." He conceded that few women in Holland wear burqas, but said there is evidence the trend is growing....
Wilders argued that the law also was needed for safety reasons, so that a terrorist cannot use the burqa to conceal a weapon or his or her identity.
It is "an overreaction to a very marginal problem" because hardly any Dutch women wear burqa
That's a silly argument. There are hardly any cannibals, but this doesn't mean that eating people should be legal.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, writing in the London Evening Standard, reported recently on how the burkha can be used to conceal injuries resulting from domestic violence (via Ami at Harry's Place).
They should outlaw this abomination in the UK too. Ostensibly, this should be on security grounds. There is also a health and safety argument. Afghan women suffer from rickets because they don't get enough sunlight, and asthma because they cannot breathe in it. Unfeeling as this may sound, however, my main reason for wanting this shroud banned from the UK's streets, is that it is just not the way we do things. It "frightens the horses".
Will the Muslims ever learn? Culture is a two way street. Women, regardless of their religion, are forced to don a burqa if they appear in public in places like Saudi Arabia and Iran. So..if the Netherlands wants to ban women from wearing a burqa in public places, then it is also their right to do so.
Good news.
I guess this means when I travel to the Netherlands I will be able to wear black from head to toe, and then top off my outfit with a cloth bag on my head with eye holes cut out...
I am sure hardly anyone else would wear this outfit, so I should be fine.
Or wait...
Moose
Hardly any Dutch women?
The, pardon me saying so, mentally diluted original Dutch females here that convert to islam are actualy more prone to wear veils and burqas to a degree the imported muslim females do not even wear them.
As if they have something to prove.
And of course, we now get these discussion how it is legally not able to pass due to the freedom of religion and this is a religious outing. And also how motorcycle helmets are also not forbidden (of course, you're required to remove any such helmets upon entering something like a bank).
Interested
That's the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this posts headline. I read it on the train home. Never really thought about burqas hiding signs of domestic violence. I'm proud that London's main newspaper isn't likely to ever be dhimmi-whipped. Unlike the NYT ...
This is off topic, but the other threads are heavy and serious stuff for this lighter hearted observation.
I have just been looking at the BBC "Have you say" about Christmas Whines. The most highly recommended comment, (136 so far) reads:-
"I would like to whine that the BBC had a friendly "How do you plan to celebrate Ramdan?" thread for Islam, but when it comes to a Christian festival, they ask people to complain and moan about it. Unless of course you are planning to run a "Ramadan whinge" thread next time around."
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&threadID=601&edition=1&ttl=20051223191346&#paginator
Ramadam whinge is grounds for execution, as we know well.
I am so sick of the lame-ass excuses about brukas, abayas, chadors etc. You can call it whatever you want it's still a porta-prison.
I actually agree with this law. Burqas should be outlawed. The french ruling that said Muslim women shouldn't cover their hair on the other hand is going overboard. So I guess Hermes needs to stop selling scarves to women because they might be used as head coverings. Burqas are a product of the Arab culture, not Islam. The Quran says, Men and Women should be modest in their dress. These days, that means, ummm, no biker shorts and hot mini skirts. Modesty is in the eyes of the culture you are in. If you feel that being modest is wearing a long skirt and not baring your arms, so be it. But the facial thing has got to go. And as to the security bull crap, I can hide an AK47 in a long dress coat while wearing a suit and tie. I can also wrap myself with 50 lbs of Semtex high explosive while dressed in Baggy jeans and a 3X sweatshirt like most of the kids like to wear their clothes today. So that line of reasoning is just that... crap. Plus, these terrorists do nothing to stand out. Go watch Showtime's new series, "Sleeper Cell" to see how they work. The woman in the Burqa is not the one to worry about. Just like whenever you hear about a serial killer getting caught and what is the first thing out of his neighbors mouths? "Why Ted would never do anything like that!" "I can't believe it!" "He was such a nice, helpful guy!". Those are the ones you need to keep an eye on....
So that line of reasoning is just that... crap. Plus, these terrorists do nothing to stand out. Go watch Showtime's new series, "Sleeper Cell" to see how they work. The woman in the Burqa is not the one to worry about.
I watched a couple of episodes of Sleeper Cell. I wouldn't call a cable television show a credible source for the behavior of Muslim terrorists.Muslim terrorists have disguised themselves in burqa's to avoid detection.We know this because Muslim terrorists have been caught disguised as women in burqas. Muslim women have also hidden machine guns and explosives under these robes.The Burqa also allows a person to cover their face which violates the law in some countries.
The ruling in France forbade the wearing of the Hijab not other headscarves. One reason the hijab was banned is because women including non-Muslim women were being forced to wear the ugly headrag.Gang rape was sometimes used to enforce the wearing of the hijab.
Like I said somewhere else, it is a common error to think that Muslims are virtuous and their women modest because they wear the hijab.
I have been living among Muslims and studying Islamic societies for the past 27 years and the fact is that Muslims are not interested in virtue and morality. Very rarely do they teach the ten commandments (don't kill, don't lie...) to their children. Instead they teach the "five pillars" of islam, which only promote their religion and its rituals (fasting, praying).
The hijab or burqa in present times is only a powerful symbol of islamic militancy. Rather than being meant for modesty, it is a tool to intimidate the women not wearing it.
In present days many whores find it convenient to wear the hijab in Muslim countries and societies. Prostitutes are asked no questions when they wear hijab and it is very convenient to hide their activity.
"A Muslim political leader..."
my hair stands up and I get the creeps when I imagine a "Muslim political leader' pulling Islamo-propaganda in the most tolerant, ignorant western countrys.
Unfortunately, they know everything about us and most of us know nothing about them. If we did, rest assured no Muslim would stand the chance of a snowflake in hell to become a 'political' leader.
For this Mohammedan da'wa doctor, it is "an overreaction to a very marginal problem'- What he means is "give it time, people will get used to it, and after a while they will consider it normal'...
Hoping that it will become so 'normal', that even mainstream Dutch females would wrap themselves in 'portable seclusion...'
Sure, the problem is bigger, much bigger than a few nuts waltzing around in Halloween costumes. But it is also important to nip Islam in the butt whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head.
Indeed an ounce of prevention and all that.