Topic Of The Day: French Burqa Ban

So, the French government have seen fit to ban the Burqa, which is a part of Islamic culture.



So what does this law mean?

Well, anyone who is caught to be wearing the veil in a public place can be fined for up to 150 Euros. The French government have argued that it is helpful in helping to assimilate Muslims easier into French society. Sure, I'm not against people interacting with a native culture but forced assimilation? Are the French the Borg?

Forced assimilation is not the way to help a member of another culture to become part of the native culture. It has to be voluntary on the part of the person moving into a new culture and more inviting by the native culture. This is a more hostile approach and further segregates the Muslim population in France.

B...b...but security!

Bullshit. Does anyone really believe that removing the veil will stop terrorist attacks? For example, if a radicalised Islamist woman had decided she was going to attack a place, do you think she would reconsider if this ban came into play? I doubt it. A terrorist will attack regardless of what the law says.

Women's Rights

"Hey women, we'll protect your rights by telling you what you can and can't wear!"

Doesn't work does it? A change in Islamic culture must come from within. Imagine a Christian went to Saudi Arabia and was forced to remove their crucifix. There would be uproar in our press, saying that this was oppression. Why is the reverse not also oppression?

A government telling me that a certain piece of clothing is illegal seems all too invasive to me. What's too stop a government determining that a Sikh's turban is offensive, a nun's veil is offensive, or a Jew's Yarmulke is offensive? After all these pieces of clothing identify these groups as people from different cultures in different parts of the world. Shall we just remove all these symbols in the process of assimilation? In my eyes, no.