Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Straight Goods - Banning the burka misses the point - The ban is largely symbolic but does hinder the few women who wear burkas.


Straight Goods - Banning the burka misses the point - The ban is largely symbolic but does hinder the few women who wear burkas.: "Are bans really about the shrouded women or are they about our own comfort? How much of our reaction is xenophobia — that is, dislike of foreigners? Do we find it easy to ban burkas and niqabs, or at least to have an opinion on the subject, because they are worn by women?

If the face veiling teaches us anything, it is that complex issues that involve gender, religion, culture and society require more than a knee-jerk reaction. We cannot look at a custom and assume we understand its meanings. And even where its meaning is one of oppression, we cannot simply ban it and expect that will stamp out the underlying problem."

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