Burka

[vernonk]

Daily Express today calls for the burka to be banned. What chance of that? Does anyone think it shouldn't be and if so why?

[B00]

"Good luck with trying to strike up a conversation with a burka wearer, Bernie. "

I've spoken to quite a few, and believe it or not, they are like every body else! Some are lovely, some are pig ignorant. The wearing of one doesn't change their personality when they're spoken to.

That being said, I dislike the burka intensely, I find the whole look intimidating and totally alien to what i'm culturally used to.

[Berniecuddles2]

boo one of our neigbours ..4 doors away..wears a burka she always says hello very polite to everyone keeps herself to herself ..but it would be nice to actually see what she looks like..but cant see it happening

[Cloverjo]

I don't think the burka should be banned. You can't ban clothing. I do hate it though. It's a symbol of repressed women who come from backward-thinking countries.

[vulcan42]

\\ It's a symbol of repressed women who come from backward-thinking countries.//
I agree completely with your statement but isn't that the very reason why it should be banned?

[naomi24]

//You can't ban clothing.//

You can. France and Belgium have done it, and it is banned locally in several European towns and cities.

[Cloverjo]

Ok, you can ban clothing, and other countries have done it. But what do they do? Handcuff women and march them off the streets into New Look and force them into civilised women's clothes?

[naomi24]

Unless they want a new wardrobe they don't need to go to New Look. All they need to do is remove the face veil. Their long gowns aren't a problem.

[DTCwordfan]

the timing of this is regards it being International Women's Day.....it should be banned in the UK as should the full Niqab, the maximum should be the Egyptian way of wearing the Habib and Niqab, the face exposed.

[tamborine]

Ban it so they are subject to same public scrutiny & They should NOT be allowed to drive in burkhas. Its their excuse to avoid detection.

Muslim reporters on Aljazeera news show their faces as do doctors.

Its an insult to our males whom they hide from when we know their men are leches.

[Cloverjo]

They can't just removing the face veil. It's a whole body-covering garment.
I think the long gowns are a problem. Everything about this issue is a problem.

[B00]

I don't mind the long black gowns, indeed nuns have been wearing those from since...well, forever! It's the face entirely covered that I find unnerving, it cuts off the visual communication, which is their job I guess isn't it?

[naomi24]

Cloverjo, when people refer to the burka they generally mean a garment, in one or more pieces, that covers the whole body including the face. Most women who cover their faces wear a separate headpiece and veil. The long gown isn’t the problem – the anonymity that the mask affords is the problem. It is not conducive to integration.

DTC: Many Egyptian women do cover their faces. They never used to, but they do now. As I said earlier, the Burka has become a political uniform.

[DTCwordfan]

traditional Egyptian wear does not include the Burqa, this is just a fairly new practice for some women there....

[naomi24]

^That's what I said. On my last visit to Cairo I saw more veiled women than ever before.

[trt]

Ban it, but if not change the colour to pink!

[DTCwordfan]

I always said that they should build air-filters into the Burqas for cities like Cairo, Alex, Tehran, Ankara and Khartoum, as to all the car fumes.....

[anotheoldgit]

They should conform to our mode of dress, not how they dress in their lands.

Years ago it was an offence for British holiday makers in Spain to walk about in shorts.

[DTCwordfan]

given most Brit knees and legs, it still should be, AOG........

[atalanta]

When I see a woman wearing religious cover-up ( never mind how much is covered) I think " there goes a woman who thinks she needs to be controlled by men". On the contrary, it is women who can control themselves, and men who can't. Men should not be allowed to think that their self-control is the responsibility of women, who "tempt" them by not wearing enough coverings. far too many men ( think of Germany at new Year) seem to think that if a women is not shrouded, she is fair game.

[jourdain2]

They live here, they have moved here for the advantages our society gives. The payback is that they accept (in general) our ideas including those of dress. The Burkha should be banned, as should women covering their faces with veils. (Obvious exceptions are the temporary veils worn sometimes whilst a bride walks up the aisle.) In other words - OUR country, OUR habits and laws; adapt or go.

Will be interested to discover who thinks it shouldn't be banned.