Hi Divine Ns_n,

There are a hell of a lot of cultural practices widely available across Australia which many people would find repugnant or at least unsavoury, some of which I am happily guilty of: I hope that when you are Queen, you do not outlaw them :)

First principles: empirically, what harm do burqas, nikabs or hijabs do to non-Mulsim Australians ? None, besides a weird sort of offence taken that people could be different from them and still get by, that Muslims may not be bogans.

How and why Muslim women feel they must veil themselves partly or fully is really up to them, provided they can access the rest of Australian public life and come to understand the pros and cons of the freedoms and rights that are available here. In other words, it is an issue that concerns primarily Muslim women, and the evolution of attitudes towards women and equality within the Muslim community. Hopefully, their Oz sisters will smooth the ride.

I certainly don't feel that I am sitting on the fence on this one: that burning feeling has more to do with too much chili last night.

In Turkey it is banned, France and Belgium too. And in various parts of the world the hadji has been made into a great fashion statement. In Dubai, you see ladies with flowing hadji some with sparkling threads, jeans or mini skirts, makeup and nail vanish, high heels, etc.

I had a letter printed in the local press, and I pointed out when
I was living in Cyprus, we were warned not to go shopping on our own
and to dress sensibly. This was in the Greek quarters and particularly in the Turkish quarters. Single women both of Islamic faith (much stricter) but the Cypriot Greek Orthodox were never allowed out without a chaperone until they were engaged. And then
were always accompanied by a male relative or elder woman. When in Rome of course...

What my argument is if I don't wear a burka or hadji in my own country how do the Australian Islamic men view me? As less godless
or chaste? And subject to sexual abuse or condemnation? If Islamic
women want to wear the burka or whatever, it's up to them. But I still feel by banning it is not the solution at all!

The KKK? Oh dear we are venturing in muddied waters now. They targeted
black people but also Jews, Roman Catholics and anyone who was actually friendly to these groups or were civil rights workers.

The reason was not just racial but political, sexual, religious bigotry and ignorance. 'Nig...s' are like monkeys, they have thick lips'. Actually, primates don't have thick lips at all. And the thicker lips is created from environmental adaptation and considered more evolved than thinner lips in humans.

Interracial marriages were banned in RSA, what about the Hindu caste system? Arranged marriages, honor killings.

If the burka is worn to protect women from abuse by other men, then that says something about how strict Muslims view our society. And let's face it, given legislation against sexual harassment in the work place and domestic abuse, has it improved? OK it's illegal to wolf whistle now, but it still goes on. Who is game to walk out alone at night? I'm not unless I have a protective dog with me.

When people wish to come in Australia, they are escaping sometimes, not always, where racial and religious prejudice still dominates.

Yet, we still condemn some of their cultural conventions. And we are supposed to be enlightened? Tolerance of people's civil rights is fine, providing they don't trample on ours?

It wasn't such a long time ago, some of new Australians were against
interracial or religious inter marriages. This can cause trouble still. So banning the burka will not do one thing to improve tolerance in a multicultural society