I agree with the need for seperation of church and state. BUT... not allowing Muslim women to wear headscarves in public schools goes waaay too far. Wearing head scarves for these girls/women is a way of life in that they they HAVE to do it- in their belief, they will go to hell if they don't ( and everyone is entitled to their own beliefs). It's not just the matter of prayers at school or not wearing a cross necklace or something. Because one can postpone a prayer until afterschool, and can put a necklace on later, and not feel like a sinner going to hell. In islam, for those who take it seriously and personally, a person cannot go outside to a public arena uncovered. These edu laws are forcing girls to either throw away their beliefs to get education they are entiteled to, or not be educated at all and be allowed to practice. This is NO better than forcing ALL women to wear scarves. SAME THING,2 sides of the same extreme.
Your opinions?
Answer:
They also believe they'll be greeted in heaven by 1000 virgins if they martyr themselves in the process of hurting/killing some number of 'infidels' at random. Given that, it's difficult to respect such ancient and excessively prudish customs such as the veil..
Also consider that the veil ties back to the premise of arranged marriages and women as property. The veil prevented suitors from seeing her face until after he bought her. (I'm sure it tended to even out the dowry amounts, and distribute the 'proposals', by extracting physical beauty from the decision process. What good/useful purpose does it now serve, other than tradition?)
So I say they should modernize their views, and quit expecting the others in the society they have chosen to accommodate their blind adherence to ancient practices -- if they don't like it, they should go back to the violence/poverty/repression from which they came.
-MM
Really
let's say one of them just happened to be involved with a crime... if they are wearing the veils, how would the ever be identified?
Just curious
Oh and I do not remember reading in the Koran wear they were commanded to wear a head-scarf,, not religious really, it is a cultural thing.
I don't know about Europe, but in the U.S., clothing often causes lots of trouble in the classroom. Whether it is associated with religion, gangs, wealth..this is why so many schools use uniforms..and depending on the situation..I can't say that's a bad thing. When I was little wearing red meant nothing, now it can associate you with a group. It's nice for kids to have a sense of equality among themselves and develop social skills, to interact with various people. If (and I don't know that it does) a scarf interferes with the workings of the classroom, then I understand why the policy is in place. Often blanket policies will cover the entire area..when it is only trouble in certain locations..but policies are made for the good of all.
Perhaps also this exposure to a non-covered way of life will ensure that children, who may easily pressured/coerced feel free to choose their own way later in life also.
Theres a time and place for everything... including religion. The laws of man oversee and disregard one's religious beliefs from time to time, but thats life. If God, or whoever, would damn u to Hell, for not wearing a rag, because Man's law prohibited it, the God or whoever, is a jerk to begin with and shouldnt be taken seriously.
Im not an expert on European law... In the US, covering one's face is considered threatning. Thanx inpart to masked criminals, being unable to identify someone makes many paranoid, especially in todays world.
Have u ever seen the women in Afghanistan, for ie...? They all look like Star Wars Stormtroopers! lol Meaning U cant tell who's who. They all look the same. U dont even know if its a man or a woman! All u see is eyes and fingers. Only fingers if theyre wearing sunglasses.
I think that when a citizen of a country makes a decision to immigrate to another, that citizen must realize that customs and mores are going to be different than those he is accustomed to.
If he believes that his family could not abide by the customs, laws and mores of the new country, they shouldn't make the move. He should look at a country that is more in the line with his own thinking.
There are some cultures and religions where wearing a sabre or sword or knife is "part of the religion", where young girls are "circumsized" as part of the religion, where a female is not allowed to go outside the home without a male relative escort. These extremes cannot be carried into a free and open society. If these things are at the base of your religion, then you need to look very carefully at where you intend to relocate.
To leave your homelands and all you are familiar with and move into a country where there are different laws, you must conform to the laws of the new country.
That doesn't mean you have to give up your religion. Like all religions in a free society, your religious practices should be confined to your home and your church, temple or mosque. If one beliefs are so radical that changes can't be made to adapt, then one needs to stay in ones own country. You cannot expect to move to a new country and have THEM change their laws and culture to adapt to YOURS. It is quite the other way around.
When I see a woman wearing a burka or veil, one of the last things that comes to my mind is religion. The 1st thing I think of is women being shot by their own brothers or stoned to death by their own fathers in "honor" killings. I think of young girls being held down by 4-5 adults, screaming their heads off in pain while their genitals are being mutilated. Now THAT'S a human rights abuse !!
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