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British party seeks ban on Burqa
Following recent European moves to ban certain Muslim practices, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) is seeking a ban on burqa and other face-covering veils worn by some Muslim women. The leader of UKIP's 13 lawmakers in the European Parliament, Nigel Farage, told the BBC's 'Politics Show' on Sunday that his party was seeking the ban on the grounds that the burqa "oppressed" women, while symbolizing an "increasingly divided Britain." They also suggested that attire could pose a potential security threat. In late November last year, Switzerland became the first European country to ban a Muslim practice, when a double majority voted "yes" to a referendum seeking a ban on the construction of minarets -- a distinct characteristic of Islamic architecture added to Mosques. This is while in France, which has been seeking its own ban on the burqa, a national debate on French identity promoted by President Nikolas Sarkozy raised eyebrows. The pressure has sparked concerns among Muslim minorities across Europe. The British movement has, however, met with some opposition, with Schools Secretary Ed Balls saying it was "not British" to tell people what to wear in the street, and accused UKIP of indulging in "unpleasant politics." Posted by: Fred 2010-01-18 |
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