Ban the Burqa?

1039 Words5 Pages
There is undoubtedly something medieval about the burqa. The concept that women as part of our seemingly contemporary culture should be hidden from view for reasons of modesty or religious belief is both distressing and astonishing. However, there is something very real about the way that this piece of cloth has been turned into a battleground for Western values and about the idea that the burqa poses some kind of existential threat to the West, is the most concerning part, for it is the ban which is the only real threat here. Muslim women in France are already a targeted minority, and the figure of those who wear a burqa in that minority are even less impending.This is not just taking a sledge hammer to crack a nut. This is like reaching for a bazooka to kill a fly. It is totally disproportionate and unnecessary, and its self defeating too. All it does is alienate an alienated Muslim minority. This so called liberating ban is already secluding and marginalizing those very same women. French politician, Jean-Francois Copé has advocated that the burqa, ‘poses a serious safety problem at a time when security cameras play an important role in the protection of public order.' The widespread concern is that the burqa would allow terrorists to evade airport security or provide the perfect camouflage for bank robbers (a non existent case) Some champion the even weaker argument that the burqa fashions some unseen problems that make it near impossible to perform certain jobs, particularly those that require face to face contact and communication with clients or the public, such as doctors, nurses, teachers and police officers. It is not unfair to say that there are certainly some practical problems that come with wearing the burqa. It is, after all, a piece of clothing designed for feudal life, as opposed to the more frank case of our modern society. Despite
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