Thanks, weareunique and suze. Yes, I have to admit that often Muslim women have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, so even the nikab doesn't do much to minimise their allure (but don't tell their husbands that). And let's face it, surely we all have to admit that a high proportion of Muslim women are just beautiful ? Miss USA is not the only one, by any means.

Here's a question for all you other hysterical children: have you seen all that many Muslim women wearing the burqa, the full-covering garments ? Or are you confusing it with the nikab ? Or even with the hijab ? Get a life.

Leave people alone, what on earth harm are they doing to you ? You're 'offended' by seeing women all covered ? Suck it up, it's not really your call how other people dress.

"Banning the burqa is tantamount to waging war on women"

I would have considered that the burqa was a war on women. By extension, anyone should have the freedom to wear the swastika on an armband or any other symbol of hate and oppression.

What next? The freedom to possess child porn?

While there are many rights to fight for, the burqa does not stand out as a symbol of enlightenment.

Hon. Shadow Minister,

You are missing the point entirely: nobody is saying that the burqa is a strike for liberation, it's generally agreed that it is one of the most clear representations of women's oppression ever devised (which is probably why it is very rarely seen in Australia). But if wearing one is the only way that a woman can get out of the house and experience the outside world, then leave it alone: it's a bit like trying to turn devout Christians into atheists - a long-term goal, but one that can't be realised by force (as surely the Russian experience amply demonstrates). If this is a fight for the minds of Muslim women's minds, then that is mainly up to them and their feminist sisters.

Shadow Minister: << By extension, anyone should have the freedom to wear the swastika on an armband or any other symbol of hate and oppression. >>

That's a good example, although not for the reason you imagine. I think you'll find that it's not actually illegal to wear a swastika armband in Australia, but the social opprobrium it attracts means that you'll rarely see one in public, if ever.

<< What next? The freedom to possess child porn? >>

A poor analogy for several reasons, one of which is that the call to ban the burqa is a call to ban for dubious reasons something that is presently legal, where possesion of child pornography is already illegal for good reasons.

Strangely, I haven't previously noticed that Shadow Minister is a vocal supporter of women's rights.

If we took the intelligent step of banning Islamic immigration,
then the banning of the burqa would become a moot point.
The Islamic war on women would stay in the Middle East
and the Islamic war on infidels would stay in the Middle East.
As they should, for the well-being of all Australians.

suzeonline, "The fact their menfolk aren't also wearing full body clothing in hot weather as well, makes me angry."

Why so when all of the available evidence is that it is the women who are making the choice?

Could it be that the some women's fundamentalism is expressed through such dress accessories as the burqa, while others who control their religion rather than have it control them might choose anything from western dress through to a Christian Lacroix silk skirt cut in Muslim style and Eddy (Absolutely Fabulous) would be proud of them?

By way of example, presumably when a Muslim woman thinks of the quote from Allah “O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer”, it would be her own 'take' of her religion that would have her choose a light lacy scarf over her head or something in black and lots of it with heavy fishnet over the eyes for total coverage.

Through choice, women from other cultural groups and faiths have continued to wear traditional voluminous black dresses and veils, not as daunting as the niqab or burqa, but uncomfortable and unflattering nonetheless.