Daniel Pipes

April 12, 2011

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Islamist Apparel Banned in France

by Daniel Pipes April 12, 2011 Cross-posted from National Review Online: The Corner

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With a new law yesterday, the French salvaged an aspect of Western civilization.

The law prohibits "concealment of the face in public, especially by wearing a full body covering" ("dissimulation du visage dans l'espace public, en particulier par la pratique du port du voile intégral"). In other words, it does not explicitly mention the Islamist gear known as niqab (which covers a woman's body except for the eyes) and burqa (covers the entire body).

Feminine beauty? Burqas on parade.

Clever. But "concealment of the face" takes place routinely. Large, dark sunglasses hide the eyes. Surgical face masks (worn to fend off contagious diseases) cover the nose and mouth. Fire-retardant hoods obscure the neck, ears, and hair. Worn together, sunglasses, mask, and hood, such as sported by actress Faye Dunaway last year at LAX, might be illegal under the new French law, even though it is not a problem. One can discern plenty about Ms Dunaway, including her gender, her approximate age, and what she is carrying. She looks odd but does not threaten fellow passengers.

Faye Dunaway in her version of a niqab.

Niqabs and burqas, in contrast, are not veils but head-to-toe coverings that envelope the entire person. They routinely present security challenges by hiding males, guns, and bombs. They cause Vitamin D deficiency in women and breast-fed children. They obstruct communication, disrupt family life, dehumanize women, and undermine individualism.

Legislation should focus on full-body coverings; these cultural atrocities must be banned everywhere. (April 12, 2011)

Related Topics: Muslims in Europe, Sex and gender relations receive the latest by email: subscribe to daniel pipes' free mailing list This text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL.

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