October 14, 2005
Burqa ban!
From despardes.com:
Burqa - the Muslim women's body veil is likely to be soon banned in the Netherlands, says a news report. It will be the first European country to legislate toughest curbs on Muslim clothing.
Netherlands hardliner Integration minister Rita Verdonk, who is called the Iron Lady for her series of anti-immigration measures, announced that she was going to investigate where and when the Burqa should be banned. Sources said the ban would be applicable in shops, public buildings, cinemas, trains, bus stops and airlines, which means almost everywhere except the streets. Anti-immigrant Verdonk appears very determined despite realizing the angry backlash of the Netherlands Muslim community, Human Rights groups and Europe's Muslims in general. She is reported to have said the "time of cozy tea-drinking" with Muslim group has passed and immigrants should have the courage to criticize each other. She recently cancelled a meeting with Muslim leaders who refused to shake her hand because she was a woman, she said.
More here.
Posted by Azra Raza at 05:02 AM | Permalink
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Comments
What is this a picture of? Just Curious.
Posted by: angela lines | Mar 5, 2006 3:38:56 AM
I presume that is a still from the film Submission.
Posted by: Hektor Bim | Mar 5, 2006 11:08:09 AM
I found your blog smart, informative and quite funny. Brilliant really. I am getting my master's in Near Eastern studies and have focused a lot on Pakistan and Afghanistan. Anyways keep it up.
Posted by: Summer Brennan | Apr 14, 2006 3:03:34 PM
Respecting one's choice of habiliment is a sign of cultural development. Harmony cannot be enforced and misdirected backlash can only make the matters worse. To me it's very simple ... one should be allowed to dress up in the way they feel comfortable with.
Posted by: Zobaria | Apr 21, 2007 4:15:56 PM
Try wearing a mini skirt or shorts in a Muslim country and see how far you get.
Posted by: ian | Nov 16, 2007 7:12:20 PM
it makes me feel sick on the way the muslims are dressing now a days its just so gross and really bad tauba tauba
Posted by: Shahzadi | Dec 14, 2007 7:20:26 AM
And the maddening cluelessness of Western Europe in dealing with Muslim immigrants continues...
ian - can it possibly be that 'What would Saudi Arabia do' is your prescription for free society?
Posted by: D | Dec 15, 2007 12:19:03 PM
Is this likely to encourage cultural assimilation of Muslims into Dutch society?
Posted by: Sagredo | Dec 15, 2007 7:07:12 PM
I think that this kind of rash discrimonation will only futher serve to sepeart the muslim comunity. If you belive in freedome then you should accept the fundamental right for people to be able to dress how they please when they please. Be that out of religious or personal motivation. If the western world wants to truly represent freedome to those it belives are oppressed then dictating to them that they can not wear the garments that their personal belifes requier then we are no different than the fundamentalist in the muslim world that get soo up set when a western woman gose tho their country and refuses to fallow the same standards of dress that their women fall weather by choice or not is a moot point. The point is that they should respect the personal choices of those people who came to their country seeing freedome to work and live with out restriction and that to contiune to wear such clothing is a personal choice. If you take that choice away from them and say no you can't wear that then you are no different than the people that say you have to wear that. Freedome is the fundamental right to be left alone to do what you deem right with in the confines of the and statutes of the socitiy you live in with out punishment. If a government starts taking away such basic rights as dressing how you wish whats nex. Are they going to tell you that you can't wear the color blue on certain days or in certain places. If they wish to cover them semsleves and not display everything God gave them as some women chose to do then that is their right. Who are we to say different.
Posted by: J | Jan 13, 2008 10:30:40 AM
When are we gonna start using common sense?? If your so-called religious practice clashes with laws designed to keep us safe, then safety and security trumps that. Go back to pakistan or where ever, if you want to wear it. Entering a bank, photos for driver's licenses??? Are you kidding me? We need to see their faces just like we show ours! Don't like it?? Don't live here.
We are so open to every frickkin thing that we don't even know when to be mad or even defend ourselves.
Posted by: zebona | Jan 24, 2008 6:09:06 PM
I think this is outrageous because if a country is not willing to provide individuals with the freedom to wear, speak and say what they want to then that country should just stop allowing immigrants to come in. The fact that the government decides what someone can wear and what they can not is ridiculous such governments are using their power illegally and therefore should be demolished. Everyone has a personal will and every individual should be allowed to dress as they please. I mean who are we to judge, and put restrictions on individuals. The picture itself is very disturbing and should be removed as it has nothing to do with the article itself. Rita Verdonk, is just trying to degrade muslim women, individuals like her should not be allowed to take any part in the government system or even sector.Plus people who cant accept other individuals for how they are and what they wear either need to grow up because times are changing everyone respects others religions now or just need to shut up for the society to advance and so that the world can live in peace and harmony.
Posted by: Rida | Jan 31, 2008 11:24:56 PM
I think this is outrageous because if a country is not willing to provide individuals with the freedom to wear, speak and say what they want to then that country should just stop allowing immigrants to come in. The fact that the government decides what someone can wear and what they can not is ridiculous such governments are using their power illegally and therefore should be demolished. Everyone has a personal will and every individual should be allowed to dress as they please. I mean who are we to judge, and put restrictions on individuals. The picture itself is very disturbing and should be removed as it has nothing to do with the article itself. Rita Verdonk, is just trying to degrade muslim women, individuals like her should not be allowed to take any part in the government system or even sector.Plus people who cant accept other individuals for how they are and what they wear either need to grow up because times are changing everyone respects others religions now or just need to shut up for the society to advance and so that the world can live in peace and harmony.
Posted by: Rida | Jan 31, 2008 11:26:05 PM
Peace and harmony is all well and good to wish for but you are a bit nieve to belive that by simple non interfearence it will make the world a better place. Its also rather naieve to think that everyone will accept everyone else. While like minded indaviduals will always gather together to promote comunity there will always be those elements on the fringes that disturb that comunity. Also there will be those elements with in the comunity that will disturb it based on their Idealogical differences. One hundred percent of the people can not agree one hundred percent of the time. This is proven by every government that has ever exsisted. While we should all strive to live our lives in harmony with those around us there will always be an element of conflict. Such conflict will always arise from differences in opinions. While it is an absue of power for a government to tell you what you can and can not wear it is the governments job to uphold and create laws in the interest of its people. I think the picture is very fitting to the topic if you look at it from a metaphorical stand point. Also remember that while it may offend you it may also not bother some one else so remeber that while you are making a just statement you are also shaking your fist at another liberty. If you advocate freedome then you advocate the right for people to do as they wish with in the letter of the law. Simply becase it is ofensive to you it dose not have to be removed. This is one of the largest problems with scocity today. We Smile at God while shaking the devils hand behind our backs, to use another metaphor. We preach acceptance and tolerance but as soon as we find it personaly offensive all that gose out the window and that one indavidual has the power to change it for the whole. Where is the tolerance and acceptance in that. Our ideals have become so convaluted that we have no idea what they are any more. So when you get one about Acceptance take no ofence to what another dose.
Posted by: J | Feb 1, 2008 1:12:28 PM
Dear friends,
I live in the Netherlands myself, born and raised here, from a Dutch atheistic family. I myself have no believes in any religion whatsoever. But no religion ever bothered me, none ever offended me, and I never picked my friends out of their religious beliefs. However, for some reason more and more people living in my country are tending towards intolerance towards others.
Our social security is being demolished by the government through the European Union, more and more people are losing their jobs, money is becoming a bigger issue everyday and the amount of people who are depending on charity nowadays to get the basic needs of food is growing. An economic crisis is just around the corner with Wall Street going down, our educationprogramme is failing and after more than ten years the gouvernment still hasn't been able to improve our health care. We might seem rich and welfaring to the outside world, and relatively we are, but with all these problems we are going straight down to this: rightwing, bad social healthcare, inequality and especially in the communities far off from the bigger cities a lot of intolerance towards people who are 'different'.
The people in the Netherlands who vote for the rightwing parties in favor of banning the burqa are people living in all-white communities, who probably haven't seen a muslim even once in their life, people who have lost their jobs and claim immigrants have replaced them and people who have children who get bad education and blame the immigrants because they 'spoil' it in class because of their language-arrear. Since a lot of immigrants have a worse futureperspective than children from Dutch families, they fall into crime more often and are therefore regarded as criminals (although only a small percentage are truly juvenile delinquents, however, every single Maroccan boy is regarded as a potential criminal, which lays an expectancy pattern for these young boys, making them even more likely to become antisocial, criminal or even gangmembers).
It almost seems that we need an underdog, in this case, the muslim immigrant. I must say I am very, very worried about the process that is going on right now. The so called 'Party of Freedom' is getting more votes in the statistics everyday. Wilders, the leader of the party (and also the only member, for he won't allow other members in his party except himself), is making statements about muslims where you can easily fill in 'jew' and you get a quote from Hitler back in 1939.
The government is not taking any action at all against this and is calling it all 'Freedom of speech' while it is just harsh discrimination that effects all the people in the Netherlands and forms a threat to democracy itself.
The only question remains: what action can we take to stop this process and start to find a real solution for this issue that is soon becoming a real big problem? The massmedia are supporting Wilders in a perverse way. It is difficult to raise a voice against him, but we have to, also internationally. I just want to ask everybody to keep a close eye on these developments, for they might take effect on the whole western world.
Much love,
Isobella.
Posted by: Isobella | Feb 6, 2008 5:24:12 PM
i belive muslims should be allowed to wear what there comfrotable in and anyway why dont they band some that is actually effcting people such as alchohol. ah wait minute thats right they got nothing better to do then petrinise muslims worthless piece of *hits
Posted by: nabila | Feb 16, 2008 4:48:34 PM
Do you want to know how Muslim women are really treated? Read the book "A Thousand Splendid Suns", by Khaled Hosseini. Excellent but disturbing book of how some of the men treat women there. Ban the burqa, let women show their faces if they want to!!!
Posted by: Freedom from Burqa's | Feb 20, 2008 12:21:08 PM
It's hard to belive in this day and age this kind of discusion is still going on. People seem to blame the governments for their own problems rather than acceptign the responsibility them selves. To many people think they don't have to work and should have everything handed to them that is why social prgrams are going down the tubes. Not enough money is beign paid in to suport whats being payed out and the number of people that depend on social security and welfare continue to grow each day. Also continued conflicts around the world continue to drain the economys of many countries. There are so many means of answering the basic questions but no one to listen. The hate needs to stop on all sides for the coflict to stop and peace to streangthen the economys.
Posted by: J | Mar 23, 2008 3:51:49 PM
ian:
As a matter of fact, in many Muslim countries women do wear mini-skirts and shorts: Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Bosnia, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and so on. Not that wearing a mini-skirt or shorts is a mark of freedom; it's just oppression from another source.
and why, Azra, did you pair this story with this picture?
Posted by: J. Jonah Jameson | Apr 29, 2008 7:07:46 PM
this very shame to every muslim.burqa is simple of our muslim qafateen .burqa safe for muslim girls .so my request is not to band burqa
Posted by: yaqoob pasha | May 17, 2008 6:06:12 AM
What about the women who want to wear a burqa? You have no right to have an article of clothing banned just because you think it is what the Muslim women really want - you have no idea of whether that's true or not short of personally asking every Muslim woman alive.
The government has overstepped its boundaries in this case and needs to back peddle - fast. It's about personal choice and these women have a right to wear a burqa as much as they have a right to wear mini skirts. It's their decision, not yours.
Posted by: Sybil | Jun 28, 2008 1:57:45 PM
Isn't the point that they are hiding their faces? Aren't the scariest things those that we don't see in films? It makes us uncertain, this hidden face. We don't know what is going on with them, they have excluded you. You can't share laughter with someone you can't see.
Posted by: Sandra | Jul 16, 2008 2:19:01 PM
I currently live in the Netherlands and have seen the treatment of Muslims first hand. I have no problem with a woman who wants to cover herself from head to toe. I have no problem with a woman running around naked either. If wearing next to nothing is ok here, why not let a modest person cover up. Eyes can be very expressive, and laughing is a noise. You can share laughter with a veiled woman just like you can share laughter with a bandaged burned victim. I think faces should be shown for I.D.s, but for everyday life, sometimes I would like to veil myself.
Posted by: Esmeralda | Jul 23, 2008 5:40:49 PM
There is no solution. I understand wanting to ban burqas, under the assumption that all Muslim women are forced to wear them by some power not entirely clear to the non-Muslim community (husbands, for example). I understand wanting to free women from fear of not wearing the burqa.
But there will always be the few who do still wish to hide. It would be cruel to rip away the safety blanket of those few (many?) women who only know life from under this covering. The only solution is to educate women that they have a choice and that their government will protect them if they choose to rebel. But of course, no government can protect us from the pain resulting from familial feuds...
It should be a personal choice. The government should NOT be another source of pressure for these women, but a source of refuge.
Posted by: Holly from CA | Sep 13, 2008 10:57:27 PM
I understand any govt. wanting to ban the burqa in public places. Ever since the attack in Mumbai, India by terrorists claiming to be Muslims, its scary thinking that the burqa can be used to hide terrorists and not just women who want to obey the diktats of Islam.
Posted by: Sunita | Dec 31, 2008 3:04:39 AM
you shouldnt put down muslims like that we all have rights and so do they
Posted by: love | Feb 18, 2009 12:19:13 AM
You know.. freedom of choice.. it's interesting. You should have the freedom of choice to choose what you wear.
I remember an honor killing 2 years ago for a young girl who refused to wear her head scarf. That was in Canada. Her father killed her.
It goes both ways.
Posted by: Dove | May 4, 2009 5:32:40 PM
Come now, the Religion of Love is just expressing itself by the cultural norms of it's society it is embedded in.
Just because female mutilation, and execution over dress values is not the norm in your culture, it is raciest and euo centric to believe theses are universal human values.
See how fun relativism is? It is like crack, only consumes whole systems.
Posted by: Dave Ranning | May 4, 2009 5:45:48 PM
I thought the article was great. I think that Rita may have been a little quick but nevertheless I completely. One of the many arguments was that by doing this we are taking away a muslim women's right away by not letting her wear something that her religion requires her to wear. Well to that I have to say that this person, whomever he or she may be, it's a little warped. Muslim women have to wear these burqa things not because they want to, but because they would be beaten, outcast, and possibly even kille if she were to not wear one. Now I don't want anyone to think that I hate the muslim religion, I have many friends whom are muslim and even thought about converting to Islam, but these rules prohibiting women as a whole to choose what they wear, well we live in times where women are no longer oppressed and are treated as equals. Muslim's should join because in the end don' t you want a choice in what you wear muslim men?
Posted by: Justin Lake Latture | May 9, 2009 6:58:20 AM
hey to every body.muslim or christien or katholik or jewis or any kind of the religion he or she is...i dont understanded what 's a kind from this pictur...just one ask..how other peoples lookinto islam or into muslim women??
are they thoink that islam its complcated or what? absoulity not.we thx allah that we are muslims .and not all what happend around the world its from muslims.just some peoples try to show islam to the world by wrong way.why why islam ahs alot of enimies ? why? why muslims are respected the other religions but other dose not respected islam.0where is the wrong betwene that?.
Posted by: aziz | Aug 6, 2010 4:36:14 PM
if some body ahs insulted any religion then he is did that to god bc as people s they know s (all religions from allah.i my self have married with christien women and she ahs choosed to converted to be muslim by her self .and no body ahs forced her.you know why she become muslim? bc she reading islam(kouran and she is day by day has descovred alot of things who other religions has not.......plz any body who want say bad of islam then he try read and understand kouran first and after he can say his opinion
Posted by: aziz | Aug 6, 2010 4:39:20 PM
In that broad desert, the desert woman wore the long cloths, because they suffered the sand and storm in desert land. In Europe, there is no sand and storm, so they European guys never understand why sarasens always wore the Burqa... just for defending the storm hitting...... I think it is not a culture, just an environment probelms. BTW, the barbarians care their women as their wealths ....
Posted by: eastern guy | Jul 21, 2011 2:31:03 AM
Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?
HIJAAB FOR WOMEN
The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam
1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust
The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:
a. Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.
c. Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.
d. Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.
e. Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.
f. Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.
2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status.
Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.
HIJAB FOR MEN
People usually only discuss ‘hijaab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijaab’ for men before ‘hijaab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do."
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]
The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
Hijaab for women
The next verse of Surah Noor, says:
"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty
Posted by: Aamir | Mar 4, 2013 10:37:49 PM
Cnt msg
6. Capital punishment for the rapists
Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?
7. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women
Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketers, hidden behind the colorful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.
8. USA has one of the highest rates of rape
United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years.
Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijaab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijaab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?
9. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes
Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijaab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.
Posted by: Aamir | Mar 4, 2013 10:40:58 PM
Strictly observant Jewish women wear head scarves, and so do the women in Christian sects like the Exclusive Brethren. But the attention is always on Muslim women. This proves that these right wing politicians are motivated by Islamophobia.
Posted by: Arun | Mar 5, 2013 12:56:05 AM
Can we also ban men wearing shorts on airplanes?
Posted by: Sundar | Mar 5, 2013 4:08:11 AM
This longish article raises some issues http://jacobinism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/blinkered-vision.html
btw, my personal opinion is that it should not be banned (no dress should be banned, even nudity should not be banned) but its perfectly acceptable to ban it in banks etc and for teachers to force students to expose their face in class if the teachers so desire.
Posted by: omar | Mar 5, 2013 8:23:18 AM
I think American liberals, especially those who value diversity and multiculturalism, should tamp down their Europe envy in general, and Scandinavia envy in particular.
Posted by: prasad | Mar 5, 2013 12:57:03 PM
Prasad, that is good advice.
Posted by: omar | Mar 5, 2013 3:47:13 PM
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