The Netherlands Approves Burqa Ban

We need to do it in America!

I agree with the concept of banning burqas and other face covering clothing. It is a healthier and freer way of being in public. There is something alienating about burqas and other face-covering clothing and for that reason, they should be banned. It likely will be a problem for those Muslim women who have been taught from infancy that when they are of a certain age, their faces will have to be covered. It will be difficult for many of them to accept the change and they might also face shunning or exclusion if they don't adhere to the tradition. Some more modern thinking women have long since removed these coverings and they seem to be comfortable with the freedom it gives to them. But many, possibly even most, have not. They will need time and family acceptance to accept the change.

In 2010, Ghiyath Barakat, Syria's minister of higher education, announced a ban on women wearing full-face veils at universities. The official stated that the face veils ran counter to secular and academic principles of Syria.

Excellent.
Each objection to an invasive culture is a success for retaining the Judeo-Christian culture.
This means any obstruction to the culture of the Netherlands will be observed and questions asked.

"people being isolated from society?".....the whole point of the ban is to prevent people from hiding behind layers of clothing and face masks. What is there to protest? How can one have secure society with all the bombings rapes and molestation if they hide behind masks? The law should be welcomed and not challenged. If not happy then migrate to lands where such laws exist and live peacefully and hopefully happily as well.

The burqa and niqab are a problem outside of Muslim countries. The PC elites Muslim and Western both want to focus on some anti-religious tangent. They conveniently like to ignore that concealed identity is an established element of Western cultures .... criminal elements.
There are warning signs to remove helmets outside many offices and banks.

Most countries do not need 'bans' to get rid of the burqa in public, they simply need to stop making exceptions for anyone who conceals their identity in public. In Australia this exemption was never formally legislated anyway.

Muslim hierarchies promoting Burqas and Niqabs are requesting that women identify with criminals .... but only the women have to do so.

They also conveniently avoid the corollary that if women 'need' to dress modestly then that means the men have difficulties controlling themselves. Then, come to an immoral western country where men are taught to have self control. Western men don't need women hiding in tents .... only muslim men need this sort of support.

(I am married to a Muslim lady, have lived in Indonesia for three years, somewhat practical experience of multiculturalism.)

You see why Britain voted to get out of the dictatorial E.U. We want out of the ECHR rulings. I can't see our government banning it though, things are not bad enough here yet. Petrol stations ask us to remove a motorcycle helmet so they can see who we are, it's polite anyway, but they can stay hidden. The way things are nobody would dare tell them to remove their burka because the law is on their side. It's a show of intimidation and totally unnecessary, where it originated makes sense to cover up against sandstorms, we don't get many in Birmingham, Blackburn or London.

I like the Dutch people very much, but it is their generosity that has put them in this situation. Thank God, they are now moving in the right direction - but as someone has said it's all about numbers. In 20 yrs when Muslim numbers outstrip Dutch and other Europeans, it will be hell. Ditto here in the UK. The Infection as I call it has invaded all public services. It's as if people have lost their reason.

Last year a council in England received a complaint about a market stall holder regarding an item she was selling - Knights Templar mugs - and the council responded with alacrity to just ONE complaint, told the stall holder to dispose of the mugs; she declined and lost her stall. On just one complaint, probably from a brain dead Snowflake or a muslim.

In my town every group-association-charity has to apply for a licence if they want to stage their event in the local park - except the Somali mosque. How about that. I'm currently trying to get to the bottom of this.

It's absurd to attempt to "sell" the burqa ban to Muslims. It's like trying to sell capitalism to a socialist, or the virtues of being law-abiding to an MS13 gang member. Why are politicians so stupid and ignorant about human nature and especially about cults? Islam is a cult religion which worships the cult leader Mohammed without any doubts or reservations. Who among us could have saved the poor souls who believed in Jim Jones? Who could have convinced a Nazi that the murder of Jews was immoral and reprehensible? You don't try to persuade people with CLOSED MINDS. You tell them "this is the rule and you have to follow it. If you don't there will be unpleasant consequences". This is the way Trump talks and why his opponents and enemies always lose. Dear GOD, the man is demonstrating that advocating and acting on principles, regardless of the objections of critics, PRODUCES THE RIGHT RESULTS! But real politicians are morally and spiritually incapable of being decisive and determined. Like weak trees the bend with the wind, whether the wind augers good or evil. More than ever this world needs real leader like Trump and Wilders, not indecisive wimps who's main concern is staying in office. The thing we need more than anything else is the RESTORATION OF SANITY. The stories and actions we hear about and read every day are simply insane.

The commentary is uniformly correct in its common sense. And it would be naive not to realizethe ideological intent of Islam, which is to turn the world into what amounts to a Sharia shrine for the sake of their ideological goals.

Their religious rights, based on their behavior all over the world, are not rights but a plan of perpetration to ultimately dominated the world and force it to be Sharia compliant, just as Muhammad did -- that's no secret.

If one thing is approved, then far more will be forthcoming -- after-all, Sharia consists of far more than a fashion conflict. Rape of non-muslim women is doctrinally covered. The rape stats in Europe have soared, and the rape of Africa teenage girls is done with impunity, notwithstanding when Islam is thoroughly established in a culture contrary to Islamic teaching, ethnic cleansing may be on the way.

The reason robbers of banks wear masks is obvious -- they have a reason to hide their identity, and it's not just about bad manners. Based on all the bombings and devastation by this ideological culture it's simply out of the question to allow it to have its way. Sure, bad things happen everywhere, but this phenomenon is unique in that they consist of 1 1/2 billion and all revere Muhannad -- he is an open book about how he thinks of non-Muslims. But of course, heads of state wouldn't dare suggest anything of the sort. Play nice and hopefully, we can all get along. However, the only reason we will get along is by Islam's perspective, the world is unwittingly "submitting" to the will of Allah.

"Why is it not realized that this law leads to people being isolated from society?"

Is this actually a serious statement? NOT wearing a full covering isolates you from society? Maybe society in Saudi Arabia, but not in Europe. I try to understand and not be judgmental, but there is something seriously deeply disturbing to me when I see these women covered head to toe. It brings forth images of death as depicted in our Western society. I get goose bumps, and I wouldn't even know how to approach or talk to someone dressed like that. Nor want to. There is something deeply disturbing and unnatural to converse with someone whose face and eyes you cannot see. Not that anyone in EU would be concerned about my 'silly" upset feelings of uneasiness to suddenly be subjected to such environment and forced to embrace it. This is step in the right direction. Took inordinately long time, however.

Is this a beginning? Time will tell.

The fact, noted by several readers below, that none of the forms of veiling imposed on Muslim women are actually mentioned or mandated in the Qur'an or ahadith is important. If and when the Musims in the Netherlands try to take this to court, they can only do so on the basis of religious persecution. But to show that burqas, niqabs, and even hijabs are 'part of my religion', they would have to bring forward from their scriptures (ignoring later books of shari'a law, which are not scripture) evidence that veiling is mandatory or even justified. This needs to be better known internationally.

A lot of women wear the burka as a soldier wears a uniform. They are even paid to wear it. It is not prescribed in the Koran. It is a humiliating sign for all women. Europe has to ban it everywhere!

Allowing women to wear full-face coverings of various types is not mandated in any of Islam's scared texts. Instead, it is an anachronistic cultural requirement that began during the Dark Ages in some Middle Eastern and Asia societies and has no place in a modern, pluralistic society. The need for the authorities to be able to view a person's face is critical in establishing a person's identity for various purposes and allows the authorities to use video surveillance and facial recognition technology to identify and locate criminal suspects. Those individuals who object to this ban on face coverings may want to consider relocating to a nation that allows this ancient cultural practice.

Yep. A person has no need to disguise themselves in Europe. Even though the demographics inside Europe have changed because of illegal multi border refugee crossings...
A person seeking refugee status does not shop for the best "deal."
And am surprised the un-elected EU common market supports the idea of people not having the need to disguise themselves.

This is awesome and good work by the Netherlands ministers. I couldn't be more happy. I only wish Canada would do this, but under Jihadi Justin, this will never happen since he is part of the rebellion against Western Societies.

"In Rome do as the Romans do".
Whenever anyone sojourns in a foreign country, it is unthinkable to disobey the law of the land.
The only reason I can see for Muslims to insist on their own laws and customs, is to eventually replace our way of life with their sharia laws. Why else would they leave the ME where they are free to do as they please?
Those who are not willing to adapt to Western way of life, should not be welcomed.

And it is about time that Europe is waking up and taking a stand. I completely agree with what this government is proposing, this should have been established years ago. All of Europe has been too lenient with the influx of Muslims/migrants makes me wonder if there is still a Europe left?

Traditionally burqas and niqabs were worn for modesty. Today, in Western countries, they are worn as in-your-face affronts to their non-Muslim hosts; they are political statements, threats. This is the female uniform of Islamism, which aggressively seeks to destroy our civilization. In our tradition face coverings were banned because they were the paraphernalia of banditry. Now, masks are the paraphernalia of terrorism, as burqas and niqabs are meant to remind us.

Nowhere is written in the Koran - as another commentator rightly wrote - that a woman must cover herself.
But also representatives of multiculturalism in Europe repeatedly express peculiar reasons for the consequences of a ban on burqas: this would isolate Muslim women even more, since their husbands would not let them go out of their homes any more. Of course, the idea that these Muslims have not yet arrived in the West and that there is a need for action has not come down to the same critics of this prohibition on veiling - the very same people who otherwise cite human rights at every occasion.

Most likely this ban will last only as long as it takes for Muslims to get a majority, then they will undo any individual liberty minded nonsense and all women will be wearing burqas.

Not happy? Simple, go live in a country that has no such restrictions. You move to Italy, you adapt to Italian culture. You move to France, likewise. Same if you move to USA, Japan, or any other country. If you do not want to assimilate, do not move to a country that does not support your lifestyle. It is not a Muslim requirement that women cover their faces or wear body long "bag" like attire. A terrorist could hide inside a burka with guns and explosive devices and no one would be able to see the threat. Same with a niqab. Hijab not so much as it is basically a headscarf. Many women in Europe used headscarfs decades ago. Many still do, namely when entering a church, for example. However, if you want to dress in extreme ways, do not want to assimilate into other cultures, then you should consider moving to and living in today's Iran, for example, or some other fundamentalist Muslim country. Or maybe move to an ISIS controlled territory.

No woman should have to wear a burqa especially in the manner the Islamic State requires which is a total negation of womanhood. But should a woman who accepts the burqa as a religious expression she enjoys personally and is her choice? Is it possible a woman could be deprived of her right to religious expression and way of life by banning burqas? This is an important issue it helps define us and what freedom sometimes demands to insure a persons rights are foremost.

This is a move in the right direction, but a very tiny one. The problem is much less about Muslim women hiding their faces, than the fact that millions of Muslims have been allowed to come to Europe. Islam. taken in its literal sense, is not compatible with western cultures, lifestyles, laws, or standards, and Muslims who are serious in their belief will never assimilate into the societies of non-Muslim countries, but form a separate society at odds with the existing order of the country.

With very few exceptions, non-citizen Muslims need to be deported, and those who have become citizens should be subject to having their citizenship revoked (and deported) for any sort of crime, or disruptive activity. Large numbers of these people living in non-Muslim countries is a problem in itself, and if they aren't removed before they become so entrenched that it's impossible to remove them, they will be a constant source of trouble, crime, violence, cultural disruption, etc., until they become strong enough to rule.

"Part of my religion" actually means the men of her religion have imposed it on the women. Multitudes of women would abandon the face covering and tent if the Muslim men did not so violently object.

First of all, I believe that no one in our societies should be permitted to wear a mask or any garment that hides their identity. One reason is that our security, especially now with terrorism and other criminals of all kinds, is severely compromised. If I'm a policeman I want to be able to identify immediately by seeing a face, who this person is. If I'm working beside someone I want to know if this is truly the person they claim to be.

Secondly, all the reasons that transcend any religion in my opinion, are: the face is a road map of who we are, the face displays my age, the face tells me whether a person is sad or happy, the face tells me so much about who a person is I don't want to be deprived of the opportunity of seeing it and making a connection with that person if they so wish, perhaps by a smile or a softening of the face.

I also believe that if I went to live in any country where face covering is the norm, I would not expect to walk around in the same clothing I wear in my country. I would know the customs and laws of that country and if I did not I also know I would be accosted by groups who were offended, I might be jailed on some other pretext, I would not be safe. I do not understand why the customs and the laws of countries who clearly state that a burka or other face coverings are illegal are ignored, and by many, made to seem unreasonable.

If one decides to uproot oneself and impose oneself uninvited on someone else's hospitality, the minimum ones's reluctant hosts might expect is that one behaves oneself, respects the hosts by making oneself amenable and complying with the standards and customs and not making a nuisance or a burden of oneself. Muslims don't do ANY of that! They should have had the manners NOT to be been wearing the burqa in the first place!

In many Muslim countries, Western women are required to wear veils or burkhas and never any revealing clothing. They are forbidden from criticizing Islam. They are not allowed to convert to other religions. They are taught anti-Western attitudes in school, in Mosques, and in their media.
Yet they come to Western nations and expect to be unconstrained by any tradition, custom or law. Further, they tend to demand special treatment at every turn. The sad part? They are being given special treatment, and all to often it is resulting in chaos.

If you wear a burqa, you are living in ancient times. If you want to live in a modern society, the 21st century, then get up to date or return to where such nonsense is still accepted.

Not only a burqa ban, but there should be also a ban on any sort of religious education of any kind, and on any sort of 'cultural centers' financed from abroad.

Lately, there should be a ban on propagating any ideology seeking to overthrow the government of the country. Which would effectively ban the Mosques and the propagation of Islam all together.

Burqua's and Niquabs are not mandated in the Quran. They are a tribal item and have morphed into a political statement. Mostly it is family pressure that compels women to wear this garment, and failure to wear it often reaults in abuse by the woman's male family members. They absolutely should be banned in every civilized country, same as FGM (female genital mutilation).

There is a de facto burka ban in Italy because it is unlawful to stay in public places with the face covered with anything. The only exceptions are motorbike helmets when driving and scarves when it is cold and windy and thing like that. As soon as you leave the bike, you must take off the helmet.

You don't know if a terrorist is hiding behind a veil.

What would be interesting is a follow up column describing the effects of the ban in other countries. After a potential period of resistance does it help Muslim women?

"Part of her religion"? Nonsense. It's a pan-Arabian cultural marker perpetuated by a sexist, patriarchal and cultic offshoot of Islam. Nowhere in the Qu'ran is it mandated that women dress up like Guinness bottles.

It seems a logical move in our supposedly secular European society. But it also demonstrates the difficulty, if not impossibility, for Muslims, who are not European, and who seek to live according to Islamic laws, to integrate. It reinforces the view that their aim is to impose their culture and religion on everyone else.

Excellent work! Now if you can exert your authority on misbehaving immigrants, please, take back your country. I hope you can one day do something on the no-go zones. These Muslims must know that if they can't follow the rules, they must leave.

Firstly, it's only a partial burka ban. Secondly the complaint that it isolates Muslim women is ironic. Wearing the burka isolates Muslim women. It is a clear statement of hostility to the host country. But the solution to the Muslim conquest is not burka bans, it is banning people who want to wear them and demonstrate their hostility to western traditions. The reason why the Koran requires Muslim women to wear tents is odious.

Congratulations for taking this decision. The usual arguments concerning rights of religion etc popped up again! Noticeably, the claim that the burqa empowers women. Total rubbish conjured up by the trouble-makers in Muslim communities across Europe. I would like to see this enforced in Britain, but our government is far too cowardly to do so, they also use the excuse of freedom of religion. However, the law is fully enforced when it comes to full face helmets etc. In Britain Sharia is gaining ground due to the weakness shown by politicians and with the aid of liberal lefty luvvies who protest if the Sun doesn't come up!

I do hope the Dutch enforce this reasonable law in their country. In London every day I feel uncomfortable when I pass these ridiculous objects on the streets. If they don't like the regulations go home. Our government (UK) are too soft to change the law in our country, great pity.