A European Government WITH A PAIR

Dutch government says it plans to ban burqa

Cabinet says ban sought on security grounds; Netherlands has 1M Muslims

BREAKING NEWS

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The Dutch government, facing re-election, said Friday it plans to draw up legislation "as soon as possible" banning burqas and other clothing that covers a person's entire face in public places.

"The Cabinet finds it undesirable that face-covering clothing -- including the burqa -- is worn in public places for reasons of public order, security and protection of citizens," Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk said in a statement.

Basing the order on security concerns apparently was intended to respond to warnings that outlawing clothing like the burqa, worn by some Muslim women, could violate the constitutional guarantee against religious discrimination.

In the past, a majority of the Dutch parliament has said it would approve a ban on burqas, but opinion polls in advance of national elections next Wednesday suggested a shift to the left, and it is unclear if a majority in the new parliament would still back the ban.

Once the Cabinet drafts a bill, it is sent to the 150-member legislature for enactment.

The main Dutch Muslim organization CMO has been critical of any possible ban. The idea was "an overreaction to a very marginal problem" because hardly any Dutch women wear burqas anyway, said Ayhan Tonca of the CMO. "It's just ridiculous."

Around 1 million Muslims live in the Netherlands, about 6 percent of the 16 million population, but only a few hundred are believed to regularly wear a burqa.

After France banned the wearing of headscarves in public schools, the Dutch government decided to leave that question up to individual schools. Most allow headscarves.

The city of Utrecht has cut some welfare benefits to unemployed women who insist on wearing burqas to job interviews. The city claimed the women were using the burqa to avoid working, since they knew they wouldn't be hired.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15766750/#storyContinued

前記の書いた事は基本的にオランダの治国がブーカ（burqua/burka)と他の顔を覆う服を禁止する案を立てるつもりです。

I'd like to commend the Dutch. I'm sure people will call this intention racist or religious discrimination, but I have read other articles that show the legislation will be limited towards situation in public where safety or the identification of someone may be or is required. I think an outright ban on burkas would be inappropriate, but I think that Muslims who choose to live in "non-Muslim countries" must be willing to assimilate into that country's culture and allow its government to protect its citizens (which includes the Muslims residing there).

オランダを賞賛します。人々はこの心算をレイシズムとか宗教の被差別と呼ぶんだが、私がこの禁止は応安と同定を要する場合に限るのを示す他の記事を読みました。全きの禁止は不相応だと思いますけど、不イスラム教徒の国に住んでいる回教徒はその国の人文と常民（国に住んでいる回教徒をも含む)が治国に助け守られるのを許すのを遣る気があらなきゃいけない。

News article not by me
私の社説ではない