Following a trend of local burqa bans within the country. "Spain's Senate Votes to Ban Burqa," by Raphael Minder for the New York Times, June 23:
MADRID -- In a significant escalation of Spain's debate over how to handle radical Islam, the Senate on Wednesday narrowly and unexpectedly approved a motion to ban Muslim women from wearing in public the burqa or other garments that cover the whole body.
The vote, 131 to 129, was another setback for the Socialist government of Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, which had favored more-limited restrictions on Islamic clothing and has instead been pushing to curtail religious fundamentalism through better education.
The Spanish vote comes amid several national initiatives across Europe to restrict the spread of radical Islam and defend liberal values. [...]
The motion adopted by the senators calls on Spain to outlaw "any usage, custom or discriminatory practice that limits the freedom of women." It was drafted and led by politicians from the main center-right opposition People's Party. [...]
The Senate's position also came as a surprise because although Spain has become a major European entry point for Muslim migrants from North Africa, few of those immigrants wear either the burqa or the niqab, which does not cover the eyes. A similar argument has also been made by opponents of a burqa ban in countries like France, where only an estimated 100,000 women wear the burqa out of a Muslim population of about 5 million. France, however, already passed a law in 2004 to ban head scarves or any other "conspicuous" religious symbol from state schools in order to preserve their secularism.
The Spanish government is supposed to follow the Senate's motion. However, given that Socialist senators opposed the ban, the governing party is likely to seek ways to circumvent the vote....
Perhaps the success of Geert Wilders' party in the recent Dutch elections is having an effect on the rest of Europe.
This comes not a moment too soon, and is only a small first step. Much remains to be done.
"Spanish senate votes to ban burqa"
Following a trend of local burqa bans within the country. "Spain's Senate Votes to Ban Burqa"
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And why shouldn’t the Spanish ban that hideous symbol of Islamic oppression?
And where are all those indignant feminists today?
Are they boldly and fearlessly standing up for the unconditional rights of all women?
No, of course they are not. They are cowardly bowing down to Islam for reasons of personal convenience and a misguided sense of justice.
I am an ex-Muslim:
http://www.considerationsofacanadianex-muslim.org
Y viva Espana!
Polite, brief letters will now have to be sent by us jihadwatchers to the Spanish ambassadors in our various countries, expressing approval of this sensible piece of legislation, on grounds both of public safety and the need to uphold women's dignity as individual humans, by allowing and indeed encouraging them to show their faces in the public square.
We will have to state, though, that we expect the Spanish authorities to **enforce** the legislation fearlessly and consistently, and that Mohammedan whinings and/ or riotings must be immediately, summarily and forcefully dealt with.
We may add that we expect to see the Spanish authorities proceed to a similar resistance against sharia and jihad in other areas: for example, by denying recognition of polygyny and forced and/ or underage marriages, by prosecuting and punishing those who teach or engage in such cruel and oppressive sharia practices in contravention of Spanish law, and by punishing those who plan or achieve 'honor' murders and murder of apostates.
Persons who reside within other European countries should add, to boot, that this measure - by increasing public safety and visual amenity (no scuttling shadows shrouded in the black Slave Rag) places Spain among their desired holiday destinations.
Writers who identify themselves as people who may have holidayed in, or are considering visiting, Spain, or who do business in Spain, may even add that a major factor in their choice of holiday destination, and in their choice of a country to do business in, is whether or not that destination, that country, has a large, aggressive and encroaching Mohammedan presence. It may give the Spanish food for thought if they begin to hear that the Mohammedan colonies they're already afflicted with, are frightening off potential tourist dollars...and business investment.
Glad the ban was approved, but it's disturbing how close the vote was.
Ban the burqa? WTH, burn the burqa!
In your face, supporters of Cordoba House and nostalgics of Al-Andalus!
Why the burqa just does not comport with Spanish culture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VLMyr7MFTA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S98igklNBDc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aLweLJQKNY&feature=related
And in Barcelona:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiuH7yOMCVo&feature=related
And another gorgeous clip of flamenco dancing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxfwm9N1L_4&feature=related
From the movie 'Flamenco' by Carlos Sauro, 1995.
Sorry, that should have been ' Carlos Saura'.
Another ravishingly-beautiful clip from "Flamenco".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWhBGE_oKXE&feature=related