An interesting slant on the wearing of a burqa.

On the other hand, it wouldn't be liberating for women to be made to stay at home because rules forbid them to go out 'covered'.
It's a very delicate balance.

It’s very hard for Muslim women to challenge the status quo.
And quite apart from liberating women I don’t think we should allow anyone totally covered up to work in our society or go into banks and shops.It would be very easy to simply ban it altogether.

I think women are judged whatever background they are from on what they wear. From Rayner’s trouser suit to the Queen’s head wear when meeting the Pope, whereas men get a hall pass. Muslim women who don’t want to wear a covering could be judged by their communities or ruling authorities in some Muslim countries and those who wear it in western countries are judged for wearing a covering. Perhaps being a bit less judgy is the best way to be, leaving sartorial decisions to the women themselves, with the hope that like many Muslim women around the world prepared to challenge the status quo, they will do what is right for them.

Nuns *choose to dress the way they do, but many nuns do adopt a more informal garb these days.It’s men from certain cultures now living in the UK that insist their wives are muffled from head to toe. It’s disgraceful.

Wyllow3

I'm about to start as a volunteer for women locally who have been abused. leading a group who want to do some art or some yoga. (yes, for real, it was a decision based on the marriage not the recent attack)

I shall not and never would start asking anyone who arrives in a burka to remove there face covering

Just to please some racist GN's, becuase thats what it is, imo:

We've read posts above on page 1 about what Muslim women have themselves to say and how some have made a choice:

obviously if its done under male pressure its abuse here or abroad I would fight it all the way:

but banning it is counter productive in terms of change, gradual being able to "let it go" is the way forward and

not accepting a minority of womens choices in our supposedly tolerant UK goes against everything I believe in.

What a very rude comment?
Calling GNers racist just because they would like to see Muslim women liberated from a really restrictive medieval form of dress!

No matter which direction

Coercion is always wrong.

"She suggests the wearing of the burqa encourages Muslim men to assume that women from other cultures are sexually available"
Very interesting point of view which may well be correct especially considering the increasing number of attacks from foreigners on non burqa wearers.
I think a lot of burqa wearers are more than happy to wear one and are not being controlled. In the ideal world we should all be allowed to wear what we like BUT what about security/terrorist matters at airports etc when faces can't be identified?

Galaxy

Lots of covert misogyny in many posts and complete lack of understanding of oppression of women.

I am surprised. And alarmed too.

And dare I mention feminism?

^ and wore a burqa when travelling into three dangerous for women areas .^

That bit stands out for me

starnded

The arrogance is stunning really.

Leave people alone.

I think you are missing the point.

Wyllow3

starnded

The arrogance is stunning really.

Leave people alone.

Yup, as individuals in our society right here right now.

Not so of course as regards where there is abuse from individuals or society as a whole.

Lots of covert racism in here, because for example some forms of Christianity and Jewish organisations have women who choose to cover their hair and wear modest or plain clothing - or are nuns, but somehow escape mention here.

It's called choice, Wyllow.

Some are denied that choice.

We need to be able to tell the difference between coercion, control and choice and to give all women, all people, that choice.

You know what holding a different view doesn't give people the right to call people arrogant. It is really unpleasant behaviour.

Lots of covert misogyny in many posts and complete lack of understanding of oppression of women.

Top post Esmay

Women have the right to choose what they are comfortable with, as long as it is not in an abusive set up.

On image worth many words?

starnded

The arrogance is stunning really.

Leave people alone.

Yup, as individuals in our society right here right now.

Not so of course as regards where there is abuse from individuals or society as a whole.

Lots of covert racism in here, because for example some forms of Christianity and Jewish organisations have women who choose to cover their hair and wear modest or plain clothing - or are nuns, but somehow escape mention here.

There are Muslim women bravely fighting against covering up, in Iran a few years ago many women took to the streets ripping off their hijabs, and men protested with them, many men then taking to social media wearing a hijab in order to make a mockery of this. Of course the regime clamped down and there were imprisonments and executions.
In Saudi Muslim women again campaigned bravely to be able to drive and so now can do so.
There are also many Muslim women expressing their desire to live without patriarchal controls in literature and art.
To suppose they all kowtow to what their male relatives or communities/authorities dictate is to greatly underestimate the human need to fight back against oppression of any kind.

I have a different slant on the wearing of burgas having lived with Muslims for a decade .
I dressed very modestly - but that's always been my habit and wore a burqa when travelling into three dangerous for women areas .
I still have many Muslim friends both male and female who are fantastic friends to me so I have a huge respect for them as they do for me .
As I write this I'm sitting in a Muslim's friend 's cafe and we've just chatted about Judaism .

It's a whole different mind set.

In Leviticus ,where the dietary and dressing modestly laws are outlined-we Christian women were supposed to adhere to a strict dress code .
I see it observed in orthodox Jewish friends .
But it's a choice usually admittedly dictated
by men .

Whether it is wrong or right-I don't think that we have the right to tell Muslims that they can't wear a burqa .
And having written that Id like to emphasise that in my opinion- no woman should be denied an education nor medical care .
But given respect.

^She suggests the wearing of the burqa encourages Muslim men to assume that women from other cultures are sexually available.
^

They cant and havent learnt that that is not the case??
They are not 5 years old. Or 14.
A 5 min conversation should sort that out.

There is imo a very basic message here of "Women are people too" that some men/quite a few men (even in our own culture) havent absorbed yet and seeing some women "hidden away" like that is not giving any very good message to anyone to make it plain to them "People are people - and stop thinking women are lesser beings". This is what opponents of removing burqas don't seem to have clicked to - ie it's putting a nasty little subliminal message through into the consciousness of British men too - ie "Women can be hidden away - prisoners in their clothes - and men arent". I might be more amenable to this if men also wore burkas (but they don't and their clothing doesnt hamper them or anonymise them in any way.......I rest my case).

I thought I'd fought out every "I am a person - my body's sex is irrelevant" battle - but there's been a few more times where I've had to be "very firm" shall we put it with some man who has tried to treat me as a "woman (lesser being)" and I am British!! I thought that was all over - until I moved to a more old-fashioned area and there are some men who've had to have a few things made very plain to them - that they are not dealing with a "woman" when they deal with me iyswim. Most are okay - but there's a few....

....and we do still have some official legal sex discrimination going on in Britain that needs removing (any woman wondered about doing equity release on a house they own and realised she would be paid less than an exactly identical person - who was in a male body instead)? Yep...discrimination is still something that happens. There's an excuse for it and I know what the excuse is and call them on it....but I rest my case and I don't think we should be giving any sort of emotional backing (no matter how subconscious a level it's on) to anyone to treat any women worse.

France has had legislation against the wearing of face coverings and the burqa in public places since 2011 and I’m with them on that.

I find the coercion unacceptable.
Coercing women into wearing certain clothes, coercing women into not wearing certain clothes.
Both wrong.

Freya5

There is no room for the burkha in western civilised society.
There is no religious calling for them to wear it, no more than it is to wear a Christian cross.
It is a divisive garment banned by many countries. We should follow suit

Countries with full or partial bans:
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Norway. Italy and Portugal have also moved to implement such bans.
Asia: China (specifically in the Xinjiang region), Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Africa: Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.
Reasons for bans:
Secularism and integration: Some countries, like France, frame the bans as a way to uphold secularism and promote social integration.
Security: Bans are sometimes implemented as a counter-terrorism measure, as full-face veils can be used to conceal identity or weapons.
Equality: Some proponents argue that face coverings can be a symbol of social exclusion and inequality.
Islamic veiling practices by country - Wikipedia
There are currently 16 states that have banned the burqa (not to be confused with the hijab), including Tunisia, Austria, Denmark, France, Belgium, Tajikistan, ...

Wikipedia

How many countries have banned the burqa? - The Spectator
13 Jun 2025 — How many countries have banned the burqa? At least 24 have placed some restrictions around the wearing of full-face coverings in public, although in ...

There is no religious calling for them to wear it, no more than it is to wear a Christian cross.

The cross is a religious symbol.

The burqa is not, it is cultural. It is not mentioned in the Quran.