Can someone explain to me - if the woman in question showed her face for her driver's licence - why was she so adamant not to show her face to the police officer. BTW. The woman was an Australian - who had
converted to Islam - so it really is a bit bizarre - because she would be familiar with the laws of this country.

Dear Ammonite,

I don't want to play down the identity matter because it is an issue but the charge of falsely making a complaint has been dealt with by a higher court and even if it were a completely stand alone matter the judge deemed her not guilty.

Thank God for reasonable judges, it is probably why they sit in higher courts and luckily for the woman in question, judging by the tenor of some of these posts, she was not tried in the court of public opinion.

As to ascertaining identity why does the face have to be the only means? We are a smart and accommodating country, why not use something like a thumb print. We use it for hypersensitive information now and it is widely used in elections overseas. Perhaps an orthodox Muslim woman who is set on wearing a veil in public and wanting to drive might have her thumb print reproduced on the back of the licence. All police officers are trained to read fingerprints so why not? A small press of an inked thumb on to piece of paper then on your way.

csteele

Your suggestion is reasonable, I guess. But I can't help looking towards a world where women are as free as men to show their faces to the sun (and not risk Vitamin D deficiency) - I try to respect religion but until a religion arrives that subscribes equal dignity to both women and men, I find it near impossible.

We simply wouldn't have ridiculous issues like we are experiencing now.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/fight-mental-health-stigma-maloney-tells-mps-20110621-1gdjy.html
Read the link again csteel, can you say this woman is not at least a lieing trouble maker.
You like and often do, reminding us our attitude to multi culturism is wrong.
This lady,possibly from your part of the world? shows it is a two sided matter.
The filmed behavior of her supporters informed me,they had bought certain very bad attitudes with them.
I note the childlike attempts to make this a men vs woman thing white black pink or green male female she is a trouble maker and a fool as are her support team out side the court, no Berka or no more Muslim migration.

Belly

I have acknowledged that women are as much to blame for donning garments like the burqa as much as men. However, we are not EVER going to have a problem where a man has to lift his veil for identification purposes.

It is not a male versus women thing is it about common sense. Covered from head to foot because of a religion and an attitude towards women's appearance is absurd. If men were supposed cover themselves the same way in the name of religion I would be just as outraged.

There is nothing childish about wanting people to live healthy lives which means exposure to the sun. I am not alone in this, many men agree with me also.

This entire situation is the result of human madness. I knew when I started I'd get accused of gender wars. You shame yourself with your comments - you know me better than that - you rush to heap praise on my posts when you agree. Can you not see that when (IF?) equality between the sexes results in women not wearing absurd clothing covering their entire being, then women like the one in question will simply be another uncooperative person who should be fined, rather than literally hiding behind a piece of cloth.

Now, now doubt, csteele will have a go at me for not respecting another freaking stupid, waste of time religion!

Cssteele and Yuyutsu, let me expand the discussion along cultural lines given you see it as a cultural issue.

In the last census we are described thusly;
37% identified as Australian origin,
32% identify as English origin,
9% identify as Irish origin,
8% identify as Scottish origin,
4% identify as German origin,
3% identify as Aboriginal.
3% identify as Asian origin,
2% identify as Greek origin,
2% identify as Middle Eastern,

When I look at the incarceration numbers by ethnicity I find with little shock that the Aboriginal Aussies and the Middle Eastern Aussies are in double figures.

I know why the Aboriginals are 25% of the jail inmates and it is our faults collectively, we broke the souls of a people that had a hunter gatherer culture when our ancestors were inventing the steam engine, they did not stand a chance of surviving European Colonisation socially intact.

The collective Middle Eastern incarceration rate is also above 20%, and with some justification it seems given that the Middle Eastern Crime Squad is the largest ongoing dedicated squad in the NSW Police. Now this incarceration statistic I do not understand, unlike my Aboriginal mates I can see no reason for it. You cannot construe that their culture per se is anti social because it works just fine back home, but it does not travel well. The abrasive nature of the hostility to the welcoming nation moves from generation to generation and the liar has seven kids thus far, that is seven little Aussies that will always just seek to co habit rather than to belong.