HIJAB isn't just what you are wearing but it also what you are doing and what are you saying..!One of the biggest misconceptions that even Muslim women face today is the idea that HIJAB means to cover one's head. Real HIJAB means being modest in the way we look, dress, talk, behave around others and even treat others. Think again! We can only then fulfil our duty towards HIJAB once we combine all these aspect together.

Now, after the Muslims women are involving more and more in the society, those people are trying to get them back to the ghettos by banning them from wearing the Hijab/Burqa…And the other one who were saying that: Men are imposing the Hijab/Burqa to those women and are covering that by saying: it’s her choice. This argument is simply ridiculous, it seems that she doesn't want to hear that someone wear it because of their spiritual journey, she definitely wants them to be oppressed. And the French guy who were saying: We are banning it because of the dignity of the woman and gender equality. Since when the equality is used to restrict the liberty of free choices. Those people need to be reminded that this law is totally opposed to the universal human rights.

I'm uncomfortable hearing about these recent bans, because I fear it's the beginning of a trend which could lead to a blanket ban on all face and head coverings. It seems to me that removes as much choice as being forced to wear them does, where that applies. Its political correctness gone mad. Same stock as the heather and safety Nazis. The state is now telling what to, and what not to wear. Madness. My point is that there is no legal requirement to remove facial coverings in public, which people are permitted to wear them. The simple fact is that some people are threatened by veils.
IA

"The state is now telling what to, and what not to wear. Madness. My point is that there..."

I agree entirely, the State has no right to dictate dress.

Full frontal anyone?

If governments can tell people not to wear motor bike helmets in certain areas, and 98% of Australians don't cover up in public, they can indeed tell people not to wear hijabs. It's just that they don't have the guts in Australia to do that, unlike even France, the Leftiest, wettest country in the world.

Iftikhar, my chosen 'religion' is "motorcycling" which requires me to wear a helmet - if I wish to have a snowballs chance in Hell of surviving, (it is a legal requirement also) - unless I have a valid medical exemption for not wearing one. When I get my license, the photographs I am required (by law) to have on that license insists that I remove my helmet, it is an identity document for various legal purposes and establishes that the face under the helmet is the one on the identity document, validating at the same time to a statutory officer (police, Motor Registry etc) that I am allowed by the laws of that state/territory to operate the class(es) of vehicle on the license.

When I go into a bank, bottle shop, service station etc I am asked to remove the same helmet (no that is not a legal requirement) as a 'condition of entry'. I have on some occasions challenged the operator/attendant by lifting the chin part of the helmet to reveal my face, or in some instances having to remove the helmet completely.

This is an affront to my chosen religion also, but is it able to be challenged in a court of law ?

I think we need to amend the laws surrounding 'conditions of entry' into Australia so that religious exemptions are negated in the case of identifying people, otherwise the poor folks of Border Farce & Customs at every point of entry into Australia will be overwhelmed whilst being alert but not alarmed at every motorcycle helmet they see arriving.

Young girls wear the headscarf a symbol of submission to God. A symbol of piety and modesty. Islam does not require a girl to wear the hijab until she attains the age of puberty however some girls choose to wear it before because they would like to practice wearing it. They may also choose to wear it because their older sisters/mother/aunties wear it and because they look up to them. Just as many young girls have an interest in makeup or dressing in a particular way because of their family members and role models that they look up to.

I have a friend who has been teaching in a state school with majority of Muslim children and we discussed this issue. One thing that stood out for me was an observation that she made. She said that she realised girls wearing the hijab were doing better academically than girls that weren't, and they were also better disciplined. Statistically girls were doing much better than the boys at the school, but it was the girls that wore the hijab that were getting the highest marks. It's something interesting that we all have to try and understand.

Islam is a religion of modesty, in the way we talk, dress, interact, hold ourselves etc. We wear the headscarf only as part of retaining that modesty. It is a sign of our faith; that we submit to God, and to call this ‘sexualising of young girls’ is outrageous and disrespectful of our belief. To wear short skirts and crap tops is not seen as sexualising young girls but to cover yourself is? It seems like something bigger is at play.

In 1976, when 15yrs old I was selected from some 25,000 applicants, along with 247 other young men to attend the Army Apprentices School. The day after my 16th birthday on the 13th January 1977, I signed up for service to my Queen & country and to learn a trade. We also were "academically" superior to the 24,753 other school boys who applied in 1976. We too wore a certain cut of clothing - it is called the uniform of the country you serve and we were very proud to have done so. Some 41 years later as I write this, there are some of my classmates in that uniform who are still serving their country (Australia).

We were (are still) honoured to have been selected over so many others, & we learnt discipline and we certainly respected the laws of our country, the Army in which we served and those whom we served. We certainly didn't go around asking for special dispensations for who we were, or because we wore a different code of dress than everyone else.

It was a sign of my faith that I attended every Sunday service as part of my Character Training and there I was required to wear another uniform we called "Poof Dress" because it looked rather formal, & required ironing before a parade and after this the padre's (or if you like) the "imam's approval" to attended his religious instruction sessions.

Can I ask you Iftikhar, what have you done for this country other than complain about how you are being unfairly treated ?

Like me, there are many other people who are fed up to the back teeth with hearing about how hard done by others are they are because they wear a rainbow scarf, or a burka, or a hijab, or a purple beanie for that matter. So for goodness sake get over yourselves.