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Swiss region overwhelmingly votes for 'burqa ban'

6 Comments
By Nina LARSON

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I'm torn.

In my culture, hiding ones face implies deceit. Makes me think the other person cannot be trusted.

Hiding almost any other body part is absolutely fine, just the face is problematic.

But when cultures have a different view of the same thing, like is happening in this part of Switzerland, it seems that the majority set the rules.

The basic right protected by the Swiss constitution is that of public confession of adherence to a religious community and the performance of religious cult activities. Article 36 of the constitution introduces a limitation of these rights if they conflict with public interest or if they encroach upon the basic rights of others.

So religious freedom is below public interest or basic rights of others there. They also outlawed building new Minarets by popular vote in 2009.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Sunglasses are easily removed, and the scarves you speak of are usually never worn over the nose or face (unless getting ready to rob a bank, or walking and a sandstorm in the desert, or a snowstorm), just to decorate the neck. Or if it's worn as a headscarf it still doesn't cover the FACE.

When the police and other law enforcement patrol in the neighborhoods/city they're very busy looking at peoples FACES.

Even some Islamic countries are banning the burqa due to some incidents where crimes have been commited and they couldn't identify the criminals because of the full facial cover on CCTV recordings.

Hijabs are fine because they don't cover the FACE.

But the garment's displayed above are a mask in public society that literally hides a person's identity all the time.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Just let people dress as they please."

Can't do that in Muslim-majority countries.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Can't do that in Muslim-majority countries.

Actually, some allow people to dress as they like, but entering religious locations requires some extra modesty, just like entering Buddhist temples does in central and SE Asia. Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine, Indonesia, Albania come to mind.

In parts of Syria you'll see dresses above the knees, short sleeved, and no head coverings. Other parts are more conservative.

In Bahrain and Oman, you might not notice that everyone is dressing "conservatively", because they wear loose, clothing that mostly keeps the sun off.

Maldives - shoulders and knees covered when away from the beach.

Of course, dressing modestly is part of Islamic faith and part of the cultures in those locations. To what level that requires men and women to cover up is variable. Some want the head covered, others want upper arms and below the knee covered, while showing the face is perfectly acceptable. And some want everything except the face covered and a few places, want women to be blobs with nothing showing at all, Saudi Arabia.

If you let the culture of clothing dictate where you will travel, you'll miss some really amazing locations.

IMHO.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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