Only a while ago I read somewhere that there are 2000 (or less) women wearing Burqa or Niqab in France. Just to make extra sure, here are some numbers:
Population in France: around 63 million.Population of Muslims in France: around 5 million.Population of Muslim women in France who chose to wear Burqa: less than 2000.
“A report by France’s domestic intelligence agency, published by Le Figaro, estimated last year (2003) that there were 30,000 to 50,000 converts in France.”
So I said to myself, 2000 or less only? Is that a good reason to hate a country where many are godless or only dress to the European standards? Yes, fine, about 50 thousands were converts (about 500 of those are wear burqa!), but who am I not to tolerate those who immigrated there and insist that France took their rights of Burqa. When Jordanians travel to the KSA, they wear their traditional “sort of” Islamic uniform. I once even read a Saudi-Arabian Fatwa saying “women are not allowed to wear or dress in the color white since it expresses similarity to men and/or is a sort of tom boy!”
I will not be biased about this. Burqa and Niqab have their negatives. A woman covering her face completely does not appear normal or natural to the eye. It could also be a man (a while back, men would have too much dignity to dress as women, now all shame is gone which is a reason why Niqab is becoming more of a problem rather than 'extra modesty' ). She gets to see who you are but you cannot see who she is. It is an extremity in a religion that is meant to be understanding and easy with people . It can be taken advantage of and used in theft or kidnapping. It makes people feel unsafe having a stranger with no face walk among them and near their children. It has been used before in exams (Tawjihi) to cheat by hiding extra notes under or inside the gown.“Patrick Ollier from the Centre Right said: “'The burqa involves the dignity of women. It’s an important subject and we’re voting for this law against the burqa, because we want women to be protected from those who force them to wear this piece of clothing that has nothing to do with religion.' ”
Protection will speak against freedom. You, for example, tell your daughter or son not to go to certain places. A girl, specially, gets banned from certain places where she cannot protect her self due to lack of physical power. (Doesn't mean that males don't get beaten up a lot either and don't raise a finger.) There is no freedom when there's danger.
In my opinion, extremities should not be allowed. If you allow Burqa, you will also have to allow nudity. If you ban Burqa, nudity should be banned, too. I'd like to see them ban Lady Gaga from France. I wouldn't oppose it.
As a Muslim female who only wears the head dress (showing face and hands and sometimes feet) I never saw in Niqab and Burqa anything more than an act of freedom. Some women may choose to wear it at will, the rest are either forced by family members or law or society. I don't see any 'religious' value of it more than a woman in a modest Hijab. I even feel it restricts movement. It ruins some health (eyes, skin, muscles, vitamin D deficiency). It prevents them of having a normal social relationship with others. Never have I tried it before, though, so my judgements are meaningless, but still, those are the reasons not to wear it. Women in Niqab should understand that they make the surrounding people feel unsafe and uncomfortable. They should take that into account. Nevertheless, I respect how they insist on what they believe is right.
Of course, then, it would be ridiculous to ask a woman who has covered her face for years to uncover it suddenly. That is emotional abuse.
“Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual.)”-- Ayn Rand
As a Muslim, I'm convinced there are differences in opinions about Niqab, Burqa, and veil (or not wearing veil) for a reason. What is normal, to a Saudi Arabian woman is not normal to a Jordanian woman, thus is not normal to the French people.
Signed—————————————
