By Rod Benson
One of the most confronting images on our streets today is the full-face burqa worn by Muslim women. For some, it is a symbol of religious identity. For many others, it is a symbol of the suppression of women. And recently the burqa has come into question for the fact that it inhibits personal communication and allows criminals to conceal their faces and weapons. And it could well be used as a cover for terrorism.
On Thursday, the Reverend Fred Nile sought to introduce a bill into the NSW Legislative Council to ban the burqa, following similar successful moves in France and Belgium.
“We must do all we can to protect women, especially Muslim women, from discrimination and oppression so they live an open lifestyle,” Mr Nile said.
But it seems NSW is not ready for such measures, and his motion was lost. We can only hope and pray that events do not conspire to render that decision a fateful one.
Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 23 May 2010.
