3/3/10

Reuters: Burqas are not a Berakhah for Women

Forcing women to wear prison-clothing is not anything we would associate with spirituality. Forcing women to wear burqas is surely no blessing for them.

Reuters Faithworld agrees.
Opinion: Why France is right about the burqa

...In truth, many Muslim women seek relief from the pressure to cover themselves. It is these sentiments that led to France’s initial law in 2004 that banned all exterior religious signs, not just Muslim ones, from public schools. And it is these sentiments that have pushed France to currently consider the partial burqa ban in public spaces — and rightfully so...

1 comment:

Richard said...

I am no fan of the burka, but I totally agree with the Rabbi's position. Freedom is freedom, including the right to dress in religious or punk rock garb.

At the end of the day, the best way to fight Muslim fundamentalism, or any extremist ideology, is to present a more open alternative. Incidentally in the case of France, the same anti-Muslim sentiments that are behind these laws are eerily similar to the antisemitic feelings expressed earlier in the 20th century.