Should wearing a burqa be banned in the UK?

Mollygo

Watching Simon Reeve in Denmark.
They have banned full face coverings.
They have quite forceful ways of getting non-westerns to integrate including not allowing areas which only contain one group of people to exist. Even to the extent of moving people out of that area.
They offer up to £26,000 to would-be immigrants to return to their home country.
I wonder how many if those actually go back.

This series has such an interesting take on this issue which concerns all western countries to some extent. I think plenty of people here would have some regard for the Danish way of trying to encourage integration.

It was called Scandinavia with Simon Reeve. A three program series, and this was the last episode. I can’t remember what it was on, but it’s on iPlayer.

Mollygo

Watching Simon Reeve in Denmark.
They have banned full face coverings.
They have quite forceful ways of getting non-westerns to integrate including not allowing areas which only contain one group of people to exist. Even to the extent of moving people out of that area.
They offer up to £26,000 to would-be immigrants to return to their home country.
I wonder how many if those actually go back.

Ooh - what was the name and channel of that programme please? I'd like to check it out.....

I "theenk" Denmark is one of the countries too where people are given a certain amount of time to learn the language? - ie believe it's 2 years?

I have no problems whatsoever with head coverings but face coverings in this day and age ? No. A mark of oppression as far as I’m concerned.

Wish we were doing what Denmark is, but we won't.
Glad that girl broke away from her repressive father and lives the life she wants to. With education things will improve I think but I feel for all those girls and women kept down..

AGAA4

My DDs best friend was a Muslim girl. She always wore a head covering and her father wouldn't allow her to go to parties or even come for tea at our house.
DD was invited for tea at her house though. I felt sorry for her as she missed out on all the fun that other teens took for granted.
Years later she came to DDs wedding and I was pleased to see her beautiful hair for the first time and wearing quite a short dress. She had broken free of her father's dominance.

Any extremism in religion or culture which means women are repressed should be resisted in liberal, democratic countries.

Not just Islam but other religions too.

Watching Simon Reeve in Denmark.
They have banned full face coverings.
They have quite forceful ways of getting non-westerns to integrate including not allowing areas which only contain one group of people to exist. Even to the extent of moving people out of that area.
They offer up to £26,000 to would-be immigrants to return to their home country.
I wonder how many if those actually go back.

My Muslim friend from Bangladesh is quite ratty about 'those women who cover themselves up'. It's one thing in a dusty middle eastern country but ridiculous in other countries. She actually refused to enter into conversation with one we met on a flight.

lafergar

Why do people persist with this myth that women who are Muslims are not able to think for themselves?

Maybe because there are posters on here, myself included who have Muslim friends, and know how they feel and what they have to do…

My DDs best friend was a Muslim girl. She always wore a head covering and her father wouldn't allow her to go to parties or even come for tea at our house.
DD was invited for tea at her house though. I felt sorry for her as she missed out on all the fun that other teens took for granted.
Years later she came to DDs wedding and I was pleased to see her beautiful hair for the first time and wearing quite a short dress. She had broken free of her father's dominance.

TerriBull 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Why would anyone think that Muslim women can't think themselves There's a difference between living the life of an independent, emancipated woman as some are free to do, and living in a society where women must adhere to a load of man made strictures imposed on them by a patriarchal theocracy. It's been said an infinitum on this thread, the onlooker cannot possibly know if the woman beneath the swathes of material is wearing the burka of her own volition or coerced.

lafergar

Why do people persist with this myth that women who are Muslims are not able to think for themselves?

It’s ridiculous!

I worked with many Muslims, some wore a head covering, many different. I also encountered mixed marriages, all of which seemed to work very well.

lafergar

Why do people persist with this myth that women who are Muslims are not able to think for themselves?

They can obviously think for themselves. Some choose not to wear a head covering. Some choose to wear a head covering.
What we don’t know/will never know is whether some of them choose to wear a head covering because they are in a coercive relationship. That sort of choice happens to women of all races, colours and creeds.

They can.
That's why some do not wear a head covering. However, it would be interesting to know if some women who do wear a burqa are being controlled or coerced by their men folk or if it is from freedom of choice.

We just don't know, do we.

Why do people persist with this myth that women who are Muslims are not able to think for themselves?

Cossy

I do not agree with anyone being banned, threads should be removed if someone is upset and reports it, and no, before you all leap on me, it wasn’t me who reported her comment, I never even got to read it.

IMO, freedom of speech comes with great responsibility.

Like it or not, there are often very racist undertones to some posts.

Whilst I do emphasise with FGT, have we thought that many nationalities, including Muslims, belong to this site and whether we agree, or like it, we now live in a multi cultural country, I for one feel we are richer for this.

None of the Muslim women I know personally wear a burqa, not even a head covering.

It's more a cultural thing than religious and I wonder if they and their husbands are more progressive?

Allsorts

If people want to live here but wear a Burkha find another country. We have fought hard for freedom, to be encased in a heavy outfit looking out of a visor is the opposite of that. It is oppression. Anyone who thinks it is OK, try it for a week preferably in a heatwave, on and off buses going to work etc, and if you enjoy it come back ant tell us why.

I agree. When did this all start anyway? I had never heard the words niqab, hijab or burka when I was younger. It’s not something we should even be discussing as women shouldn’t be told by men what to wear. When in Rome.

Cossy I didn't see FGTs post either but as I said earlier it would be better if people would say they have reported a post and why or at least challenge the offensive post.
This would stop people wondering who had reported and speculating.

I do not agree with anyone being banned, threads should be removed if someone is upset and reports it, and no, before you all leap on me, it wasn’t me who reported her comment, I never even got to read it.

IMO, freedom of speech comes with great responsibility.

Like it or not, there are often very racist undertones to some posts.

Whilst I do emphasise with FGT, have we thought that many nationalities, including Muslims, belong to this site and whether we agree, or like it, we now live in a multi cultural country, I for one feel we are richer for this.

Agree

There are middle east countries where, when western females visit cover their head "out of respect". Isn't that acknowledging the customs of a country so stirring it a bit, why is the burka worn and seemingly accepted here in UK. as not a customary form of dress.I am for faces being seen.

GrannyGravy13

Just thought the posters on this thread should know that FriedGreenTomatoes2 has been banned from GN.as well as having her post deleted.

Oh! She must have posted something unacceptable, I didn’t see it!

I was recently in a physiotherapy class with a woman in a burqa (no facecovering) and physio found it very hard to tell whether she could manage the exercises or not.
There is a family in our local primary school whose daughters wear knitted headcoverings and long clothes even in high summer, it must be very difficult for them to do PE in them.
I did know a young woman of around 18 in the 1990's who suddenly started to come into her classes in a burqa, she told me that she had decided to do it of her own accord. She had been born and educated here and her family were upper middle class (her father was a doctor) and none of them wore a burqa so she had not been pushed into doing it.

woodenspoon

I think what value do these people bring to the UK? Nothing as far as I can see. Just problems.

What a truly appalling thing to say!!