Woman Fined For Wearing Burka
May 4, 2010 2 Comments
In Novara in Italy they have banned the burka in public places.
The first woman in Italy has been fined 500 Euros for wearing her burka in the post office.
For any family this is a hefty fine and for this Tunisian immigrant family they have said it will be a struggle.
The laws are apparently for helping with the prevention of terrorism.
The regulation invokes a 1975 anti-terrorism law, which prohibits people from wearing anything that obscures their faces and impedes identification.
The mayor of the town said that “he had hoped that the new ordinance would have deterred Muslim women from wearing burkas and niqabs.”
But a lot of these women are not free to make the decision to just throw off the burka at his will.
Because it goes against their religion they may just choose to keep themselves indoors and away from the public. Or, in the case of this woman, her husband will decide that she needs to stay home.
He [her husband] said his wife would continue to wear the full-length item of clothing because he did not want her to be seen by other men, but in future she would be forced to stay at home most of the time.
I have to wonder, how does this law help the Muslim women in society? Do they really think it will force Muslim families to throw away their so-called sexist traditions and embrace a new way of life?
The mayor seems to think it’s only a matter of time.
“But unfortunately it is apparently not yet clear to everyone that clothes preventing the wearer’s identification can be tolerated at home but not in public places, in schools, on buses or in post offices,” he said.
Right. Like after they realise this they will throw off the burka and happily go shopping with their girlfriends with their hair blowing in the wind.
Sadly, they will more likely be cooped up inside their houses, essentially under house arrest at the behest of the government.
These laws need to be changed proto otherwise the precious freedom of these women will be quashed and they will have only their governments to blame (not their beloved religion).
It is not a religious practice but a cultural one. (Feminist in Arabia)
Right, sorry, I knew that. However, I think that a lot of people, perhaps even those who are part of the religion (?), think of it as a religious practice. Perhaps this is part of the problem. (Mack)