Belgium to ban the burqa, following France's lead

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
7/16/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

United Kingdom says similar wardrobe ban is highly unlikely

Belgium will become the second European Union nation to ban the burqa and niqab, the face covering fashion sported by Islamic women. France had banned the tradition Muslim garb from being worn in public earlier this year. Starting next week, Muslim women who choose to wear the garment that covers their face and body will be fined and spend up to seven days behind bars.

Belgium and France are not the only countries to implement the controversial new policy of banning traditional Islamic dress. Australia has also followed suit with a proposed law that would require women to unveil themselves for security purposes if requested by a law enforcement official.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Belgium and France are not the only countries to implement this controversial new policy. Australia has also followed suit with a proposed law that would require women to unveil themselves for security purposes if requested by a law enforcement official.

Britain's chief Muslim civil society organization said chances of a similar initiative implemented here in the United Kingdom are slim. The Muslim Council of Britain, or MCB, a national organization which promotes cooperation and consensus on Muslim affairs in the U.K. says it boils down to the tolerance woven throughout U.K. society.

"Implementing the burqa ban will not happen because the U.K. is a more open and inclusive society than the rest of Europe ... Multiculturalism is a British institution and the whole nation wants to preserve it," the MCB told newspaper reporters.

"There's a more tolerant environment in the UK and they are much more inclusive than the French and Belgian societies," Nabila Ramdani, a Paris-born U.K.-based journalist and academic says. "Britain has always been more inclusive and practically deals with multiculturalism. You see it everywhere with minorities represented in media, politics, and business -- something you don't see in France or Belgium."

Ramdani also says that the U.K.'s anti-discrimination laws, unlike in Belgium and France protect the U.K. from politicians passing such laws. "There are no strong anti-discrimination laws in Belgium and France to fight that. Worse, in both countries you have institutionalized racism."

Though the U.K. government has declared it would never adopt such measures, calling them "un-British," just last year a YouGov poll revealed that a majority of Britons expressed that they would like to see the garment banned, with only 27 percent disagreeing that the garment should be completely outlawed.

� 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Burqa, niqab, United Kingdom, Belgium, France

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Jorge
1 year ago
I couldn't agree more, Agata. The fact is muslims will never, ever integrate in any non-muslim society. they are taking us over, step by step with the cumplicity of our treacherous, currupt politicians,false"intellectuals", big multinationals who pay all of this insane process.I agree muslims should be send back to their horrible, heinous countries and that no muslim should ever be allowed to come living in the midst of our free societies, except if they leave islam obviously.I also recomend new legislation prohibiting muslim immigration using common sense that implies the prohibition of giving shelter, refuge or citzenship to all and any person that supports islamism, sharia law or any other political,religious superstructure/ ideology that in some way violates basic human rights(which islam shamelessly does all over the muslim block, over, and over, and over again). this will stop the destruction-islamisation- of the west.
Agata
1 year ago
Interesting comments Mr Jorge . You are ofcourse right and yes these people have no balls to do anything or they are just simply on the islamic bribe payroll to do their bidding. Most do nothing out of fear and the fear that if they say anything about the fanatical maniacs, then they will start plotting to kill them too .This is what the muslims capitalise on , using terror tactics to dictate and force their will and opinions on others.Some of the things i have read about local councils banning the smell of bacon and not allowing women to breast feed incase it offends the muslims.. is just sick.This is just being insanely rediculous and treating them with kid gloves like some kind of unstable mentally ill child. The whole unabridged truth is , muslims do not belong in english speaking societies, they are deserters of their own countries who think they can invade and change other peoples homes,town.churches.countries and in the process, take full advantage of the financial wealth of western society and governments handouts and free hospitals etc etc . My personal opinion is that they should be sent back from whence they came and there would be an end to worries about which one of their clan is potting what next .
Peter
1 year ago
Instead of just expecting other societies to be inclusive, why doesn't the MCB try telling muslims who move to other countries to be more inclusive instead of trying to shove their ideologies (shariah law for example) down the throat of the societies who have welcomed them.
Nicole
1 year ago
Good is dependent upon God's revelation. The muslims do not agree with the Catholics (and Christians in general) on what God has revealed...and therefore will not agree on what is good. The burqa and niqab are not seen as good or necessary amongst practitioners of "christianity" and beyond that, are seen as a potential danger. A big part of the problem is that muslims will claim that their women's modesty practice (which is in fact widely varied) cannot be violated, but will also disguise men under these garments. This puts police officers in a very bad situation because they cannot readily identify these "masked" people and their demeanor. I personally can't blame the French and Belgians for putting measures into place to "criminalize" the practice of wearing the burqa or niqab. I do wonder, however, how much the muslims will bear on this issue.
vance
1 year ago
Good for Belgium and France. This is a hidious practice. My question is, Where are all these Liberal Establishment Feminists??? They have beat their gums for decades about women being oppressed. Why are they so silent about women being stuffed in a sack with two holes to peer out??? The Talaban men would walk behind their wives and wip them like horses. Girls can't go to school. Women are not allowed to drive a car. Where are these Liberal Establishment Feminists??? Are they a big con game to get women on birth control and kill their babies???
Jorge
1 year ago
there is nothing controlversial about banning an instrument to opress and diminish ALL wimen. Only ignorants, naive fools believe these brainwashed useful female-muslimas ,coersed, coached-non-human entities, ridiculous claim that" that using burkhas" is a "human right". No it is not, never was and never wil be a human right when wimen are trated like this, like rubish, cattle, objects, breeding non-existent entities for jihadist hords that re already crippling and destrooying western civilization from witiin, with the blessings of our clueless, spineless, politically correct/currupt politicians and big economical powers..a disgrace is happening and NO one has the brains and the guts to stop it-islamisation/destruction of christianity, NOT even so many leaders of our own church.cowardice is installed in all institutions, all afraid of being labbeled "racist",sewed in islamist, sharia compliant currupt courts, threthened by "moderate" muslims and even subject to violence and assassination, always by "moderate" muslims!!

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