More than half of Brits want burka ban

Very complex issue with no quick fix answer. I understand why perhaps some people feel threatened, the security issue etc. I think the answer is a long game around education and inclusion. We cant know how many of the women are choosing to wear them and how many are coerced. I am uncomfortable with an outright ban as i think it goes our long held views on religious tolerance. A ban will just give credence to those who claim we are all racist and Islamophobic.
 
steviemc said:
Not sure a ban should really be a necessity or would be useful, however people who wear a garment that makes you look radically different from the norm (based on the cultures and/or history of a specific country) shouldn't be too surprised if people find this uncomfortable or unusual.

It's probably more ridiculous to expect the majority of people to accept this as quite normal, as there are many things that make us feel uncomfortable around others. We all have different preferences and tolerances, and cultural comfort together with familiarity are particularly strong ones, as these are formed from such an early age. This is primarily why we make the life choices we do.

We are often more comfortable around people who are similar to us, and who have more in common with us (be that personality, clothes style, sense of humour etc.). That's a proven fact.

Yes, we should aim to be tolerant, open-minded and all-encompassing towards all humans, irrespective of cultural differences, however it would be prudent to remember that there are many who feel they are being taken too far out of their comfort zone in accepting these differences. Dismissively tagging a person's discomfort as something racially motivated, is not only lazy, but also ruins any attempt at serious discussion.
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The thing is people have been doing this for years, Punks with Mohawks and goths with facepaint, skaters with piercings and earlobe elongator thingys. All of these groups look "radically different from the norm" and many people "find this uncomfortable or unusual" yet there has never been a serious discussion on here, or in the media, or anywhere else about banning these things.

The difference in the reaction to the Burqa than to huge numbers of other sub cultures is the reason that it is "dismissively tagged as racist", because all of the arguments used by the people who want it banned are almost always thinly veiled racism, defended by racist apologists. People calling for an outright ban are, in my view, in the vast majority scared islamaphobes, they haven't tried to ban Bee Keepers from wearing their veils, nuns, motorcyclists, fancy dress masks or anything else that is similar, so why are they so keen to ban Burqa's.

The only places where a Burqa should not be allowed are those places where Motorbike helmets, hoodies or caps also have to be removed, Banks, Pubs and Clubs ect. where there is a genuine security issue. That i could fully and wholeheartedly support.

This is all coming from someone who has a fairly and equally scathing view of all religions. By that i mean that religious people are all pretty much idiots but as long as they don't harm anyone (which 99.9% of Muslims don't) then who am i to stop them singing their songs and bigging up their beardy man.
 
Southbanken said:
The difference in the reaction to the Burqa than to huge numbers of other sub cultures is the reason that it is "dismissively tagged as racist", because all of the arguments used by the people who want it banned are almost always thinly veiled racism, defended by racist apologists. People calling for an outright ban are, in my view, in the vast majority scared islamaphobes, they haven't tried to ban Bee Keepers from wearing their veils, nuns, motorcyclists, fancy dress masks or anything else that is similar, so why are they so keen to ban Burqa's.
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Yep, the same as the people who got a sudden interest in animal rights when the subject of halal food came up.

Incidentally, there's a quick an easy solution to the halal meat in schools debate: schools should go vegetarian. It's cheaper and healthier, and no-one has any religious objections to the consumption of vegetables or only eats vegetables that have been picked in a certain way.
 
Southbanken said:
People calling for an outright ban are, in my view, in the vast majority scared islamaphobes, they haven't tried to ban Bee Keepers from wearing their veils, nuns, motorcyclists, fancy dress masks or anything else that is similar, so why are they so keen to ban Burqa's.
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Barking up the wrong tree here.

Bee keepers is just silly, I can't say I've ever seen one.
Nuns wear something resembling a hijab, not a burqa, and it doesn't cover the eyes, nose and mouth.
Motorcyclists have to take their helmet off before entering shops.
 
bumbleblue said:
Very complex issue with no quick fix answer. I understand why perhaps some people feel threatened, the security issue etc. I think the answer is a long game around education and inclusion. We cant know how many of the women are choosing to wear them and how many are coerced. I am uncomfortable with an outright ban as i think it goes our long held views on religious tolerance. A ban will just give credence to those who claim we are all racist and Islamophobic.
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I'm not sure anyone genuinely thinks its a security issue. They are offended by it in principle, and let's be honest, they are right to be offended by its very existence. It's a disgusting concept and a spit in the face of women's rights, regardless of whether the individual woman has freely chosen to wear it or not. But obviously being offended by something is no reason to ban it, whether it be an item of clothing or a cartoon of a religious figure.
 
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