Show your face

Are the Dutch outlawing the head-to-toe, face-covering burkha?

The Netherlands have certainly been having some difficulties over the coexistence of radical Islam and the Dutch version of a free and tolerant society (which is pretty dang free and tolerant).

I picked this item up over at the blog Harry's Place. Many of the commenters support the burkha-ban on the grounds that it's supporting the oppressed women who are forced to wear them.

But I think that whole line of thinking is a bit sexist. Yes, some women do experience extreme pressure to wear "Islamically acceptable" dress including threats of violence, and some women believe that they are under religious obligation to do so (in my admittedly limited understanding of the Koran, it's quite explicit that you don't have to cover your face) but a lot of women wear burkhas by choice and as a political statement. It's a classic "two fingers" to the West, or sometimes it's worn because the wearers believe that it expresses solidarity with Muslims "oppressed by West".

I'm not a big fan of hijab - the head scarf, but OK, whatever. But I have to say that I'm really against the face covering thing. In Western culture, covering your face means you're up to no good, and wearing this kind of outfit on the streets of Western European countries at the very least displays an appalling lack of sensitivity to the host culture. Unless they're fresh off the boat, people who wear face covering garb should have some idea of the impact and message their clothing has. (My guess is that many are fully aware and take advantage of our own fear of causing cultural offense.)

On the other hand, I strongly dislike the idea of Government legislating what we can and cannot wear.