The burka takes away any social identity of the person, other forms of religious dress do not hide the person socially. There is no individuality and personality expressed in the burka except a state of oppression. Muslim men living in the desert do not dress in heavy black garb covering their face. The use of the burka in Australia is antisocial and offensive, the same as having a conversation with any garb that completely covers the face no matter the gender.

Cohenite
"It ignores the lack of right of Muslim women in Muslim countries NOT to wear the burqa."

You mean like the right NOT to wear a stupid yellow shirt or vest on the job if you have to actually work for a living rather than shuffling paper between coffee breaks? Oh, of course, outside is full of sweaty, dull-witted, violent men who have to be given a special warning device so they don't kill each other out of sheer stupidity. How could I have missed something so obvious? It's only down to sheer good luck that the human species didn't die out before the Book of OH&S was revealed to herald the Way to Salvation and toolbox meetings...

"You cannot interact with people who are covered from head to foot."

Why?

"No-one in their right mind would think that the burqa liberates women"

No one in their right mind would think that feminism liberates women. All it liberates is play money to spend on buying stuff that women who wear burqas don't need, like cosmetics, lots of expensive clothes and anti-depressants to cope with the constant stress.

"Symbolically the burqa represents the move within Islam for ascendency over the secular Western structure."

"Externally, Orthodox Jews can often be identified by their manner of dress and family lifestyle. Orthodox women will traditionally dress modestly by keeping most of their skin covered. Additionally, most married women will cover their hair, most commonly in the form of a scarf, also in the form of hats, bandannas, or, sometimes, wigs."

Help, help they're being oppressed...

http://www.youtube.com/embed/HjFSi1AZTq8

scary faith
and foolish americans

Excellent clip platypus1900. This is the true face of Islam, not the pretense of those that accommodate them.

Democratic States in history have not lasted because of their freedoms but fallen to affluence, indifference then dependency on the State and then to strong leaders as dictators. Western society is in decline waiting for strong leaders to arise. Islam will fill that unless the West wake up to the Islamic fervor. The big melting pot of nations allows fervent believers in a cause to arise and dominate.