Ogi Juwana

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Belgium's lower house votes to ban burqa

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/29/belgium.burqa.ban/index.html
Summary:
Lawmakers in Belgium decided to approve a ban regarding to women wearing
Burqas and other kind of Islamic garb that covers a womans face. However, only
the lower state house has approved the ban, the lawmakers are still waiting for
the upper house to approve the ban so the law can be effective as soon as
possible. The reason why the parliament is trying to pass the law is for security
and morality reason, explained by one of the parliament members. The Belgium
lawmakers perceive that wearing burqas is a restricting the freedom for women.
The lawmakers believe that the burqa banning would not affect Belgium
population as a whole, as only 10% of muslim women in Belgium wear burqas;
and the lawmakers perceive them as the radicals.
Response:
Its an abysmal decision from lawmakers in Belgium to approve the banning of
burqas. Though some might perceive that burqa is taking away the freedom of
Muslim women, the role of burqa in muslims culture is essence. To use womens
right as an argument is slightly laughable, to think that by banning burqa, the
Belgium government is taking away the Muslim womens right to wear their
cultural symbol. Though the reasoning behind the ban was to protect women, it
seems like the excuse behind the ban is the fact that Belgium is trying to control
the ratio of immigrants coming from muslim countries, as most immigrants
probably would not take the chance to move to Belgium knowing that their

safety is not guaranteed and insecurity is all that they will ever feel while they
live in Belgium.