To BURQA OR NOT TO BURQA? NOT YOUR CHOICE!

Pauline Hanson's STUNT in the Australian Senate a few days back was something to be expected. The right wing leader of the One Nation Party, is most certainly entitled to her own opinion. She is also entitled to bring her motion to ban burqas which she finds unacceptable, to the Senate for political consideration. However, her actions were degrading to Muslim women everywhere, and this racist behavior should not be tolerated.

Pauline walked in the Senate for the Daily Question time session with a burqa on, which she tore minutes later, saying that she was above prioritizing such garments over national security. I was pleased to see, that at least at face value her stunt was nowhere near welcomed.

hotograph: Lukas Coch/AP ( https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/17/pauline-hanson-wears-burqa-in-australian-senate-while-calling-for-ban#img-1 )

The leader of the government in the Senate, the attorney general George Brandis, told the One Nation leader the ruling Coalition had no intention of banning the burqa.

Quoted from him were the following:

“Senator Hanson, no, we will not be banning the burqa,”

“Senator Hanson, I’m not going to pretend to ignore the stunt that you have tried to pull today by arriving in the chamber dressed in a burqa when we all know you are not an adherent of the Islamic faith."

“I would caution you and counsel you, Senator Hanson, with respect, to be very very careful of the offence you may do to the religious sensibilities of other Australians.”

“We have about half a million Australians in this country of the Islamic faith, and the vast majority of them are law abiding, good Australians, and Senator Hanson, it is absolutely consistent with being a good law abiding Australian and a strict, adherent, Muslim.”

“To ridicule that community, to drive it into a corner, to mock its religious garments, is an appalling thing to do, and I would ask you to reflect on your behaviour.”

For those who there might be some confusion understanding the implications of a burqa, the following infographic may prove useful:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-23/why-do-muslim-women-wear-a-burka-niqab-or-hijab/5761510

The Burqa has been called a security risk and a "flag of fundamentalism", there have been calls to ban it and it has been wrongfully associated with terrorism. However, to legislate the way a women dresses violates the basic principles that democracy is based on which is freedom of choice, freedom of expression and freedom of religion. Women who wear burqas have never resisted security checks that are concerned with security. They lift their veils for all security related reasons so the concern of security just seems as a front of racist laws.

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