Two-thirds of Britons would like to see the burqa banned
Let’s cut through the guff, the burqa is awful. It’s unsociable, intimidating, and segregating, and frankly alien to British sensibilities. Is this however, a sound enough reason to ban it?
I’m not so sure.
Hot on the heels of the French Burqa ban the British Religion in Numbers website has revealed that according to a recent survey, some two-thirds of Britons would like to see the burqa banned:
Here’s a breakdown of the survey:
Following an introductory explanation of what a burka is, respondents were asked whether they thought the garment should be banned in Britain. 40% agreed strongly that it should be and a further 26% agreed. The combined percentage of 66% compared with 67% on 14-15 July 2010, when YouGov first asked the question. 27% disagreed with a ban, while 7% expressed no opinion.
None of this surprises me as I believe that – whether folk would openly admit this or not – most Britons view the Burqa as deeply anti-social, constituting a very visible rejection of the society in which the wearer resides.
However, I’m not entirely sure what unnerves me most, the full face veil, or the secular law which seeks to impose itself upon religiosity.
I am no fan of the face-veil, and think it is alien to our culture and history. But then I am not a fan of the path down which contemporary society is walking, either. And I think it unlikely that any state power that felt compelled to outlaw the face-veil would stop at just the face-veil; it would very soon find other dissenting voices, too.
Put simply, is this a dangerous precedent? Could illiberal laws sweeping across Europe potentially gain traction and move on to other perceived “threats”, to wit, Christian “threats” perhaps?
Tags: Christianity, Law Moral Ethical, Politics
April 15th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
The real issue isn’t the burqa but what underlies the burqa — the Muslim resolve to not integrate but to eventually predominate to impose Islamic law, which reduces all others to a secondary status and dissolves civil rights.
Sadly, the burqa has become the focus rather than the substantive differences. The real discussion — the nature of Islam itself — however, is forbidden, and as long as it is, Western attempts to come to grips with the real problems will continue to be thwarted.
April 16th, 2011 at 12:42 am
I agree, this is a troubling issue.
Living in central London, I see women dressed in burqas every day. It really depresses me to have to encounter people without an identity, just two eyes hidden behind a black wall. I also find it strange that after our varied history as an Island, it’s only now, in the 21st century, that such women are degraded / shut out in such an awful way! The worst thing, though, is the fact that it’s impossible to engage with these women – or speak with them “face-to-face”.
But, having said that, I do think that freedom of religious (or political) expression is essential for a healthy society – and that a state that tries to limit religious freedom is on the verge of totalitarianism (as are so many Arab states – where churches and bibles are banned). The Pope has clearly condemned the French ban on the burqa – warning against legislation that seeks to limit freedom (and knowing that it will just polarise communities even further). He has also appealed to certain Islamic nations to promote religious freedom themselves – by putting a stop to the persecution of Christians. Unfortunately, so far, this appeal has been met by deaf-ears or complaints of “Islamaphobia”.
Ultimately, I am with the Pope on this issue. As much as it depresses me to see women covered in black cloth from head to toe, it would depress me even more to see the state become a totalitarian arm of the secular agenda.
April 16th, 2011 at 11:22 pm
In hoc signo vinces†
Dylan,
He has also appealed to certain Islamic nations to promote religious freedom themselves – by putting a stop to the persecution of Christians.
To the Mohammedan mind an appeal to “promote religious freedom” is an assent to slaughter Christians, to call on the Mohammedan to end the jihad on Christians is a call for apostasy – the Pope should know this full well.