We have become a society obsessed with the idea of being politically correct, with some people even suggesting that kids’ schools cannot have Christmas parties as Christmas is a Christian tradition. There are many more examples of political correctness going mad, but the one thing we fail to remember is that these things are part of our British culture. If we carry on going the way we are there won’t be anything British left for fear that we may offend someone who has come to live here from another country.
People coming to live in Britain, or going to live in any other country for that matter should abide by the rules and traditions of the society that they are supposed to be integrating into. Of course, that is not to say that they should forget their own traditions, but they should accept the traditions and values of the country they are hoping to call home.
Muslim woman wearing a burqa
In Britain, you cannot enter a bank wearing a crash helmet, but it is perfectly acceptable for a Muslim woman wearing a burqa to walk around an airport where surely the issue of security is much greater. Walking around with your full face covered makes it almost impossible for people to identify you; this also causes a problem for the women themselves when it comes to social interaction. Surely women wearing a burqa must themselves feel isolated, we must also take into consideration the fact that wearing a burqa may not be the woman’s own choice.
Is burqa oppressive to women?
Many people feel that the burqa is oppressive to women, as it forces them to hide their faces and sometimes they are forced to wear one against their will. In Britain we do not believe in oppressing women, we treat all people equally regardless of age, sex, nationality or anything else. If these women are indeed being forced to wear a burqa then something should be done about it, of course, some women will make the choice to wear one freely and that is their choice.
Britain as a free society
Of course part of the joys of living in Britain is that we are a free society, and as such we have the freedom to practice whatever religion we choose. We also have the freedom to wear what we want; however, there are restrictions for safety and security reasons in some workplaces or other situations. Where these restrictions apply, they should apply to everyone but quite often they don’t.
We should not be trying to tell people what they can and cannot wear, and a ban on burqas is not trying to do that. It is simply trying to enforce the same restrictions on Muslim women that are forced on us. If a British person cannot wear a symbol of their religious beliefs in their place of work for whatever reason they are not allowed to, then surely this rule should apply to every single person working at that establishment. If one religious symbol is not allowed in a school or workplace, then all religious symbols should be banned from that establishment.
The Ban on Burqas and Equality in UK
A ban on burqas in the UK is not trying to prevent people from practicing their religion; it is simply trying to ensure that we are all treated equally in our society. There are situations where it is simply not appropriate for a person to have their whole face covered, whether this is for security or safety reasons.
Maybe an all-out ban on burqas is not the right thing to do, but there are definitely good reasons for them to be banned in certain situations. As a multicultural society we should all be treated equally regardless of our country of origin. People who move to this country should also be encouraged to make more of an effort when it comes to integrating with the society they claim to want to be a part of; the burqa is not a part of British culture.
