Time to ban burqas.

I have to admit I started this post as a joke, but it soon took on the life of it's own....much to my amusement. How do I really feel about this idea? It's quite daft actually. There is no way under the charter we could force women to remove this garmet in public. We could ban them from certain place, which by the way they already are. Banks require that no one enter a bank wearing a mask unless they are escorted by a police officer. Found that out when i witnessed a burn victim being escorted into the Royal bank here in town. After a few inquiring questions, I was told that to enter a bank, you must remove your ski mask, or whatever mask you may be wearing to be served. Without removing it, you just might have a clerk set off the alarm. The only way around it is for you to be escorted by a bank employee or a cop.

I've also been told a burqa must be removed for a federal or provincial photo to be taken for identity. In other words, if you don't smile for the camera you don't get a drivers license...which by the way in some families the women are forbidden from driving.

My only concern goes back to the women not being able to drive and must be driven by a male member of the family. Guess who is more likely to enforce such a messed up rule? Muslims that follow the Quran to the letter...Which would include families were a burqa is to be worn outside of the immediate family members.

With all this in mind, and the recent deaths of two Middle Eastern women in Vancouver, one do to dishonouring the family by the woman being a teacher and believing in western ways, and another simply dishonouring her husband and he took care of her the only way his faith saw fit...Shot her in the head....Well, I'm sure you see where I am going. I support the right of the woman to choose, yet I see that in some cases those choices are being forced upon them not by social choice, but by a faith that has proven tobe violent and dangerous. I hardly see a peace loving faith when jets are being driven into buildings and the ehads of Western contractors are being removed on the internet.

The Muslim faith is one of violence, whether it be that way by choice, or by it's writings. The Bible tells us that a woman that sleeps around must be stoned in public, same as the Quran. Those who read the Bible looked at that as being wrong and as far as i know no woman has been stoned lately unless it was from drugs.

If the Muslim leaders want to take their people down a path of acceptance and involvement in our western society, perhaps they should not force the hand of the western people like they have in the Netherlands, and remove some of these rules and allow the women to make that decision for themselves. Thus far I've only heard them scream about removing the burqa as going against the quran's writings. That seem hardly a situation where the women are being given a choice.

I don't agree with the banning of burqas, but I do think that the western world needs to have an open, honest, and frank discussion on this issue.

The reason that Europe is going a bit extreme in trying to perserve their cultural identity/root out potential terrorists is because of astounding demographic changes in their countries. The Islamic community is simply pro-creating at a far greater rate than the Christian, and secular, communities are. I recently read one report that by 2050, the predominant faith of the people of Russia may very well be Islam, given current demographic changes brought about by immigration plus differing rates of pro-creation.

Thankfully, Canada isn't facing such widespread changes within my own likely lifetime, and hence this issue hasn't come to "a head" for us in Canada yet, though it may at some point in the next one hundred years.

The key question is to what degree is the rising Islamic population fairly tolerant, and pluralistic supporters of liberal democracy?

This is instrumental, because... whether it's politically correct to say it or not, most people nowadays don't like the strict fundamentalists of any religion or belief system, but you can safely assume that people like, say, Stockwell Day, aren't going to be bombing buildings or posing a serious threat of destroying what we value most about Canada. Yes, there are abortion clinic bombings, but they are exceedingly rare, and an incredibly minor problem in comparison to Islamic terrorism.

The Islamic fundamentalists, on the other hand... well, I don't think that it's entirely unfair to consider these individuals security risks.

So, it is imperative for us to determine - are these burgeoning, and quickly growing, Islamic populations made up largely of those supportive of pluralistic democracy, or are they made up largely of those supportive of Sharia law? If it's the latter, we're going to have to do some messy things to keep Canada, as we know it, alive in any way, shape, or form.

It's not pleasant to have to say that, but it is true.

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Burkas are a repressive way to inslave their women.

Afghan women emerging from beneath their burkas, a clear Symbol to the world that women don't want to wear these dam bee hives but are forced to by a repressive religion.

Well for once SJ_24 you and I agree ... I think we should ban Burkas and other clothing that covers the face.... there is no need for this in Canada... head coverings - are one thing but covering of the face is not good... you are absolutely right --------- this time