Why Should The Burqa Be Banned

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Why Should the Burqa Be Banned in Britain?
"We cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity"- Former President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
It is just a piece of cloth; no bigger than two meters, what harm can this do? Of course I am talking about the Islamic covering, the burqa. However innocent this may sound it is actually one of the most dangerous ‘traditions’ of Islam. I will explore why I think it should be banned in Britain, as it was in France in 2011.
The burqa is the full length covering with a mesh around the eyes through which the woman can see. It is typically worn in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Saudi Arabia, enforced by the group in power, in two of these …show more content…

Many have interpreted this by wearing a hijab (which does not cover the face), whilst a minority interpret it as the burqa. However, many Islamic scholars highlight that actually there is no reference to a need to cover one’s face and hair. One Imam, Dr Taj Haji, director of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford says ‘The burka is an archaic tribal piece of cloth that is eagerly used by fundamentalist zealots to promote a toxic brand of extremist non-Koranic theology’. This undermines the religious justification for the burqa.
Islam originated in Saudi Arabia where it is extremely hot during the day. In order to keep cool and avoid sunburn, it is essential to cover your skin (whether you are a man or a woman). With it being normal to cover most of your skin, you can understand that in a patriarchal society they would be nervous about women unnecessarily displaying any flesh. I fail to understand how displaying your face, is “unnecessary”. I would argue that it is essential for all people to display their faces for the purposes of daily life and also in order to participate in society. This sensible Middle East skin covering tradition has been written into the Islamic texts and has moved from practical advice to religious dogma (like Jews and Muslims not eating pork). However it has been high-jacked by some misogynistic Islamic scholars and preachers with an interpretation designed to control women. I wonder why those learned male scholars have not also applied this to

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