The thread title is very simplistic (and probably inaccurate given that if it does come into law it's likely not to be a full ban), but what do people here think about it? For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about French MPs voted overwhelmingly (335 for and 1 against) to make wearing full face coverings illegal in France. Some people's religion and/or culture make them feel as if they should wear these coverings. Other people may choose to cover their face for other personal reasons (scarring from burns, for example).

Do you think partially of fully covering your face (with a burka, head dress, balaclava or anything else) should be illegal?

I can understand the supposed security risk (it can be very difficult to identify someone whose face is covered), but I still feel that people should be able to cover their face if they wish.

Here are a few links:
http://www.independent.co.uk/n ... ins-unlikely-2028672.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new ... our-of-banning-burka.html

Quote from amp88 :

The thread title is very simplistic (and probably inaccurate given that if it does come into law it's likely not to be a full ban), but what do people here think about it? For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about French MPs voted overwhelmingly (335 for and 1 against) to make wearing full face coverings illegal in France. Some people's religion and/or culture make them feel as if they should wear these coverings. Other people may choose to cover their face for other personal reasons (scarring from burns, for example).

Do you think partially of fully covering your face (with a burka, head dress, balaclava or anything else) should be illegal?

I can understand the supposed security risk (it can be very difficult to identify someone whose face is covered), but I still feel that people should be able to cover their face if they wish.

Here are a few links:
http://www.independent.co.uk/n ... ins-unlikely-2028672.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new ... our-of-banning-burka.html

If it's cold enough I'd cover my face in any cloth, If I was challenged to remove face gear...why not , I got nothing to hide, ask me, don't order me.

What about HOodies. they cover as much.

AAnt

If we all walked around with no clothes,,,,,be a lot of hairy people

I don't give a flying **** what other people wear. I wear full-face coverings sometimes, when I'm skiing for a full day in Northern Michigan. That would make me a criminal I guess. And when I'm robbing banks, but that's beside the point.

Organized religion and the prejudices that come with have done more to set back society than any other thing I can think of, including the Black Plague. Every religion is the one true religion. If people want to follow a different wrong set of values and beliefs than my own wrong beliefs, let us all burn in hell together.
And if women want to be told that they can only dress a certain way by their religion, and let it happen, then that's their own damn fault. They can just wear something else any time they want. In France I'm talking about.

Quote from amp88 :

Do you think partially of fully covering your face (with a burka, head dress, balaclava or anything else) should be illegal

Isn't wearing, or having a balaklava, classed as (or can be classed as) "going equipped" in the UK?

I really don't care. I meen seriously am I meant to care about everything and fix the entire bloody planet? I'm only alive for 1 lifetime, I havn't got time to care about all the messed up stuff on this planet, i'd rather go out and commit all the sinful violations my forebears fought and died for my right to be able to do.

Of course they should be allowed to wear what ever the bloody hell they like.

I'm still waiting for the retards that voted NO to post in the thread with a good explanation of why they shouldn't.
(...and by good I don't mean the old "security" bullshit)

apart from it being ass ugly (personal opinion), it's a health issue concerning vitamins, sunlight etc, seriously...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/ ... nlight-or-risk-illness.do

Mm.. i got told to take off my Balaclava and my scarf round my face when it was SNOWING... I've already got my HiJab at the ready for the next time it snows, i wont be told to take it off.

Quote from rediske :

apart from it being ass ugly (personal opinion), it's a health issue concerning vitamins, sunlight etc, seriously...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/ ... nlight-or-risk-illness.do

but that's their own fault if they get sick. They are the ones that make the decision to wear the full body covering. We don't stop people from smoking just because it's an unhealthy life decision. among many other things.

I seriously think some people might be misreading the question as 'would France's burka ban be justified' which would inflate the no votes.

Well its Muslim faith so I have nothing against it if they want to look unattractive so be it.
And about the vitamin crap that is just a load of bull they orginaly come from countries with vast deserts, so it was originally intended to protect them from the sun.
Also the eye holes used to be much smaller to protect the eyes in sand storms it had very little to do with faith and more with desert sun and weather protection.

The French Senate has yet to vote on this ban, even if they do approve it I expect it will be challenged in the courts as being unconstitutional (IIRC in France it's not as simple as it being written down as part of the current constitution, it's that they can use certain bits of previous ones). In the UK, similarly expect legal challenges, although the Human Rights Act 1997 cannot get rid of Acts of Parliament.

I think the ban is wrong. If people want to wear veils because of their religious beliefs, then they have every right to do so. The state has no right to tell people what they can and cannot wear. I will be very disappointed if this law comes into effect.

Quote from Chrisuu01 :

Well its Muslim faith so I have nothing against it if they want to look unattractive so be it.
And about the vitamin crap that is just a load of bull they orginaly come from countries with vast deserts, so it was originally intended to protect them from the sun.
Also the eye holes used to be much smaller to protect the eyes in sand storms it had very little to do with faith and more with desert sun and weather protection.

So when you are wearing ski cloths because you are skiing, you should also keep wearing them in the middle of the summer? Is it even proven its a religion? I am for this ban, currently in France, and there are quite some that do it, although less then in Holland I believe.

Quote from AtomAnt :

I got nothing to hide

I cringe ever time I hear this.

Quote from Bose321 :

Is it even proven its a religion? I am for this ban, currently in France, and there are quite some that do it, although less then in Holland I believe.

Why are you for the ban? Why does it matter for what reason people wish to cover their faces?

Quote from Bose321 :

So when you are wearing ski cloths because you are skiing, you should also keep wearing them in the middle of the summer? Is it even proven its a religion? I am for this ban, currently in France, and there are quite some that do it, although less then in Holland I believe.

So if the majority of your parliament or people want to stop you from say, wearing a baseball cap then you'll approve, right?

Quote from AtomAnt :

I got nothing to hide

Quote from Forbin :

I cringe ever time I hear this.

Massive agreement here. It really does annoy me when I see or hear people saying this. If you think it's right for the state to have complete control over your actions and movements because you "have nothing to hide" then you are totally missing the point of what a free democracy should be. Not that I think the UK, US or Canada are truly free democracies though...

"No" is leading with 60%?

WTF?

What do I care how other people dress? Let them wear what they want.

Buts thens yous cants sees thems ins cctvs

The only thing that caught my eye from all of this is someone in the UK gov't who responded with "The UK would never ban the Burka because it is un-British to tell someone what they can and cannot wear". This is the same country that bans people from wearing hooded tops or T-Shirts with joke captions on them. Nice to keep the consistency there.

Would be nice to see some tolerance of Western fashion and beliefs in return by predominantly islamic nations. Of course as long as our respective religions teach intolerance that'll never happen.

You think this country is bad then you should see the kind of things you can get locked up for in Dubai.

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

The only thing that caught my eye from all of this is someone in the UK gov't who responded with "The UK would never ban the Burka because it is un-British to tell someone what they can and cannot wear". This is the same country that bans people from wearing hooded tops or T-Shirts with joke captions on them. Nice to keep the consistency there.

I'm British and I often wear a hooded top and many of my t-shirts have jokey captions on them. As far as I'm aware the government has never tried to ban either.

Quote from Becky Rose :

I really don't care. I mean seriously am I meant to care about everything and fix the entire bloody planet? I'm only alive for 1 lifetime, I haven't got time to care about all the messed up stuff on this planet, i'd rather go out and commit all the sinful violations my forebears fought and died for my right to be able to do.

What a great post

Agree 100%

Quote from boothy :

So if the majority of your parliament or people want to stop you from say, wearing a baseball cap then you'll approve, right?

A baseball cap is not something you wear 24/7 365 days each day, well I hope so, and a burka you do. Also, these people come to live in countries like France, name it, to get a better life, and yet, they keep living like they did in their own country. Also they keep raising their kids like this, in usually strict rules, and keep living in their 'time', and keep really to their religion. I mean, if you come to an other country, it makes sense IMO that you act like that, and don't pretend you still are in your old country. It's not racist what I'm trying to tell, I'm just trying to tell my opinion, and you people that don't think like me, or the majority that voted like me, shouldn't rage on that, you have to respect others meanings, and I do respect other meanings, but I don't agree at this.

Quote from Becky Rose :

I really don't care. I meen seriously am I meant to care about everything and fix the entire bloody planet? I'm only alive for 1 lifetime, I havn't got time to care about all the messed up stuff on this planet, i'd rather go out and commit all the sinful violations my forebears fought and died for my right to be able to do.

Sorry, can't agree with you. If you all people would think like that, the planet would just be a big mess, like, oh... A big oil leak, who cares? I'll be dead soon, or I'll just commit suicide. Ofcourse, not all people can think like me, that's just a difference of opinions.

Quote from DarkTimes :

I'm British and I often wear a hooded top and many of my t-shirts have jokey captions on them. As far as I'm aware the government has never tried to ban either.

It is a council by council deal, they have been given the power to ban people from wearing jokey/offensive T-Shirts with an ASBO, make areas hoodie free zones and ban people from wearing them using an ASBO again.