The burqa issue

Most bloggers think the compromise on the covering your face in court issue is fairly sensible. I agree but will take issue with NRT who said “And on the other hand, given the strong prohibition on women revealing their faces in some Muslim clades, this is the equivalent to asking a western woman to appear topless – intrusive and humiliating, and likely to affect people’s willingness to testify. And the fact that this is exactly why the defence was doing it – as a form of witness intimidation – leaves a very nasty taste in my mouth.”

A number of Muslims have said the wearing of a burqa is not relgiiously mandated, but a political statement. I do not accept that it is the equivalent of making western women appear topless. Just because someone asserts something does not make it true.

A punk rocker could appear in court weaing a shirt which says “Judges are f***wits who should be rogered and killed” and he might be told to go find another shirt. Would that be intrusive and humuliating?