Reply #72: Banning veils is very troubling

[okie]

The left should be unequivocal on this point. The calls for a ban are yet another sign of the deplorable Islamophobia so prevalent in Western Europe. Think about it - in France you have (mostly) a group of old men debating and making laws about what women should be allowed to wear! How is this not a complete travesty? That people are up in arms about what Muslim women are forced to wear and the only thing we can do in response is force them to wear something else? We should be able to see through this nonsense, folks.

To try and paint this as an attempt to 'liberate' Muslim women seems patronizing, and just more of the same old tired story of 'White Man's Burden'. I happen to agree with those who think the burqa/niqab is an artifact of a repressive, anti-feminine culture (I think the same of high heels, plastic surgery, strip clubs, and leg shaving, for that matter). But to go from that to essentially saying we need to protect these people from themselves is to see women as infants. For instance, it's not hard to imagine a woman choosing to wear the veil because of its political significance. Because of the statement it makes in a world where Western nations invade predominantly Muslim nations, and then treat Muslim immigrants like second-class citizens. It's also possible a woman chooses to veil because she feels naked and ashamed without it. Are you going to tell her to walk around 'naked'?

To make this about public safety is also a bit distressing. Look at the attempts to compare veil wearers to balaclava-ed terrorists and criminals. What is the implication here? That a Muslim woman wearing a burqa/niqab is a potential troublemaker? If we're worried about incidents of terrorism perpetrated by Muslims then fight for actual, meaningful change in the world. Does anyone believe there would be this concern for safety if we not declaring war on, and killing millions of Muslim people in Asia? Or treating the immigrants in Western Europe as some kind of invading horde?

As for the case in the OP, I hesitate to go into great detail on my opinions about how silly traffic policing is. Is it dangerous to wear a veil behind the wheel? Maybe. More dangerous than driving and talking on a cell phone, or texting, or fiddling with an ipod, or eating a sandwich? I really don't know. I'm allowed to drive a car even though I have horrific vision, wear glasses, and don't have great peripheral vision. My great grandad was driving his truck around at 87. Sometimes doctors pretty much work days at a time then drive home. These are all dangerous things. The point is they're difficult to police.