Should the niqab be banned?

[Knight of Albion]

Is the niqab a symbol of oppression and entirely out of place in a modern, civilised society?

Or is it a justifiable item of clothing which a woman has as much right to wear as a woman who wants to wear a mini skirt?

If you ruled the world, would you ban the niqab?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'm not in favour of banning the niqab. I see two general possibilities for the women wearing them:

- they really are wearing it by choice. In this case, we should let them be.
- they're being coerced into wearing it. In this case, we should do our best to empower them to leave their coercive situation if they choose. Making it illegal for them to go out of their home will have the opposite effect.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

no I would not ban it

 

[psychoslice]

I would only ban it from being worn in a bank or any place of high security.

 

[Knight of Albion]

A very interesting article worth a read...
My day wearing a niqab - Telegraph

(Things getting heated in the 'Comments' section!)

 

[Apex]

Is the niqab a symbol of oppression and entirely out of place in a modern, civilised society?

Or is it a justifiable item of clothing which a woman has as much right to wear as a woman who wants to wear a mini skirt?

If you ruled the world, would you ban the niqab?

Banning an article of clothing because of perceived oppression is exactly what a modern civilized society would not do.

As 9-10ths said, banning it only worsens the situation. It punishes those who truly wish to wear to it. And at the same time anyone who actually is being oppressed into wearing it against their will, will more than likely no longer be allowed out of the home. Further separating them from any chance they may have of being exposed to ideas of independence and the right to choose ones own actions.

The banning of the niqab is bigotry, plain and simple.

 

[Apex]

I would only ban it from being worn in a bank or any place of high security.

Banks and other places of high security generally are privately run buisnesses, or already subject to different laws than, say, a public park. So they shouldn't even enter into the discussion.

For example, in most banks you are not allowed to wear sunglasses, but that does not mean they should be banned outright.

 

[psychoslice]

Banks and other places of high security generally are privately run buisnesses, or already subject to different laws than, say, a public park. So they shouldn't even enter into the discussion.

For example, in most banks you are not allowed to wear sunglasses, but that does not mean they should be banned outright.

I didn't say it should be banned outright, but again it should not be worn where your face needs to be seen, who knows what is under there.

 

[Apex]

I didn't say it should be banned outright, but again it should not be worn where your face needs to be seen, who knows what is under there.

Sorry, the general context of these proposed (and implemented) niqab bans have been outright bans. So that is what I assumed.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I'm not in favour of banning the niqab. I see two general possibilities for the women wearing them:

- they really are wearing it by choice. In this case, we should let them be.
- they're being coerced into wearing it. In this case, we should do our best to empower them to leave their coercive situation if they choose. Making it illegal for them to go out of their home will have the opposite effect.

This pretty much sums up how I feel as well. I don't think people's clothing choices should be the state's business (except for very specific establishments like banks and military quarters, etc.), as I believe that would infringe on personal freedoms.

 

[MD]

It should be banned

 

[Apex]

It should be banned

Care to elaborate why?

 

[Aquitaine]

It should not be banned. However, it should be subject to the same general "restrictions" placed on other identity-hiding items of clothing, in certain places/buildings.

Basically, I think the same "customs" and "rules" we as a society apply to balaclavas, ski-masks, Jedi hoods, helmets etc should also apply to the Niqab.

In a nutshell, you can wear it in Public, but when it comes to (for example) your Passport/Driving License photo - time to take it off and have your face shown on the image - like everybody else.

Otherwise it becomes a case of having different rules for different (self-categorized) groups of people.

 

[Knight of Albion]

Personally, I can see both sides to this.

In London, its a garment of choice, of expression.
In Kabul, its a garment of compulsion, of repression.

I'm not sure there is a definitive answer.

There is a programme on this very subject on British television tonight which was what prompted me to pose the question to the forum.

Do we have any female Muslim members on here? I would love to hear your views and opinions if so....

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

... it should not be worn where your face needs to be seen, who knows what is under there.

 

[Knight of Albion]

To come to Robert's defence. Niqabs have been used by (male) criminals in various robberies here in the UK and one of the London terrorist bombers escaped London disguised as a woman through wearing a niqab. I think this is the point he was alluding to.

 

[apophenia]

It should definitely be illegal to drive a car if wearing niqab.

Peripheral vision is crucial when driving.
How good is this woman's peripheral vision ?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

It should definitely be illegal to drive a car if wearing niqab.

Peripheral vision is crucial when driving.
How good is this woman's peripheral vision ?

The minimum field of view for a driver of a private vehicle here (commercial drivers have to meet higher standards) is 120º horizontally and 15º vertically. It looks to me like that niqab allows for a better field of view than that.

 

[oldbadger]

I would only ban it from being worn in a bank or any place of high security.

same here!

 

[Revoltingest]

I oppose government banning it generally. However, there could be places where it shouldn't be allowed, eg, Air Force.
Moreover, for those who choose to wear it, they should be subject to the same privacy standards applied to the rest of us,
eg, if stopped by cops, they must allow facial recognition (even by male cops). Private companies may ban the identity
concealing garment if they wish on their property, eg, banks. To wear it should not be an unlimited right.