Dear SPQR,

Let me see, so you don't think the fact that the woman has seven children should be a mitigating factor in her sentencing but what a man alleging to be her husband and  some yet unnamed posters posted to his blog should?

Thankfully that isn't what the law is about in this country, yet.

As to "The law is an ass ---and its advocates often show themselves to be an asses ass ."

If you deem those who support our legal system as asses ass' then I suppose I'm one.

As to your exhibit A  "The woman's abusive outburst when lawfully detained/questioned & subsequent dishonesty."

What we saw is an angry woman who against her wishes felt she had been forced to raise her veil. The law as it currently stands does not give the policeman the power to insist that she do so, if he insisted then it was unlawful.

I'm not blaming him as the rules would appear to be conflicting and the best thing that can come of this is that some clear guidelines are set.

As to her honesty a higher court has said she does not have a case to answer and that is good enough for me, if it is appealed and further evidence finds her guilty then I will likely accept that as well.

csteele,
Thank you and we support the police officer in this case.

http://thuppahi.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/ameer-ali-of-peradeniya-perth-ban-the-burqa/
Ameer Ali of Peradeniya & Perth: “Ban the Burqa”

Daniel Emerson, Amanda Banks And Belle Taylor, Courtesy of West Australian, 6 August 2010

A leading WA Muslim has risked a backlash from his community by calling on the winner of the Federal election to ban the wearing of burqas in public. Ameer Ali, an economics lecturer at Murdoch University and vice-president of the Regional Islamic Council of South-East Asia and the Pacific, makes the call in an opinion article in The West Australian today.

Dr Ali, describes the burqa and similar robe the niqab as “the lingering relics of a patriarchal, misogynistic and tribal culture” and argues there is no religious obligation in the Koran for it to be worn. The native Sri Lankan, who arrived in Australia in 1977, argues that the niqab – which covers the entire female body apart from a split gap for the eyes – and the burqa, which has a mesh instead of a gap, not only covers a Muslim woman’s anatomy but also “governs her mindset”. He argues the rise of Islamism, or political Islam, combined with “liberal immigration policies of Western governments”, has increased the worldwide spread of the garments, which make it impossible for the wearer to properly interact with others around them.

Dr Ali, who was the chairman of the Howard government’s Muslim advisory council, said yesterday he was prepared for an angry backlash from some sections of the Muslim and wider community. But he felt compelled to speak out and not “pander to the whims of political correctness”. He said he had received anonymous threats in the past after airing similarly contentious views on Islam. “Of course they will create all sorts of personal attacks but you see I am not attacking the religion. I am attacking the culture,” Dr Ali said.
click on link at top to continue reading

Kerryanne

Thank you for that very helpful and informative post.

Ammonite
Your welcome and btw if you go back to the other thread that is the person& others who invited you the other topic. Dont worry about Ikebal hes of no consequence.
We understand your unwell its ok. Just take it as a compliment and if you ever want anything just *ask get well.

Cold here today.!

Dear CSteele,
<< What we saw is an angry woman who against her wishes felt she had been forced to raise her veil>>

No, what WE saw, was a woman lawfully apprehended screaming abuse at a police officer.The officer's 20 minute in-car-video shows that at no time did he attempt to remove or even touch her veil.

YOU say, she was agitated because she was afraid she’d be forced against her wishes to raise her veil.And I guess -- being modest and mild mannered-- such was all too much for her to cop.

Unlike you, I don’t have The Mentalist’s power of telepathy, so I don’t know why she reacted the way she did.And in view of the magistrates description of the woman as “ deliberately malicious and …ruthless”, I am also reticent to accept her justifications.

However there are two things worthy of note:
1) The person apprehended , and the person who made the charges --if they be two different people , it is all the sadder -- seems to have had a pre-set antipathy towards the police. –and if the Facebook pages are related, the wider community, and

2) The person who layed the charges of “racism” appears to have known how to pull our (i.e. multicultural Australia’s) strings.

Both of the of the above indicate major problems with multicultural policy.

This is not likely to be resolved by new/special provisions. The problem has deep roots.
( some who have have suggested fingerprinting need to be aware that some fundamentalist Muslims cannot shake hands or even touch an infidel)

CSteele,
<< the woman has seven children should be a mitigating factor in her sentencing>>
No. I do not believe that having her having seven children should be a mitigating factor.

In fact it is conceivable that given her behavior with the officer and, in court that saw the magistrate describe her as “ deliberately malicious and …ruthless”

And given the postings under her husbands name on Facebook – which cannot be proven to be her husband –but seemed to be from someone with intimate knowledge of the case and the defendant.And to share her antipathy.

It is conceivable that should the woman be incarcerated and the children be placed in foster care (which is not likely given the husbands presence) the children might actual benefit from the experience