Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali has commented in the Daily Telegraph that Burkas should not be worn where it compromises safety. His comments came after a French parliamentary report called the full veil “unacceptable” and recommend forbidding it in many public places.
Bishop Nazir-Ali argued that the principle of freedom of belief must be upheld in a free society, but must also be balanced against other considerations such as public order and the common good. He did not propose an outright ban, but argued that the burka should only be worn if it did not compromise public or personal safety, endanger national security or impede professional or social interaction. He commented:
“As far as the wearing of the Burka is concerned, there are, first of all, questions of safety. Naturally, it would be quite inappropriate for the Burka to be worn whilst driving or operating certain kinds of machinery. It is dangerous even whilst crossing the street! There have also been many cases in different parts of the world where terrorists and other criminals have made a getaway by disguising themselves with a burka. For reasons of security then, where identity has to be established, the wearing of the burka cannot be permitted. This would include airports, immigration control and access to public buildings.
This must also be so where a high degree of social interaction is required. Stephen Timms, the former Labour minister, has recently been stabbed by a woman in a burka who had come to his constituency surgery. This lends urgency to Jack Straw's plea that the Burka should be removed in the context of one-to-one interviews.
It is impossible to imagine how it could be worn in certain kinds of professions; by GPs, for instance, or nurses caring for patients, or by teachers in classrooms.”
Immigration Minister Damian Green has previously ruled out a burka ban in Britain, saying that such a move would be “rather un-British” and run contrary to the conventions of a “tolerant and mutually respectful society”. He said that there was no prospect of the Coalition proposing a ban. His comments came after the new head of the Muslim Council of Britain, Farooq Murad, told the Sunday Telegraph that Britain was the most welcoming country in Europe for Muslims, pointing to the spread of mosques and sharia.
A YouGov survey last week found that 67 per cent of voters wanted the wearing of full-face veils to be made illegal.
Sources:
The Daily Telegraph – Bishop Nazir-Ali comments
The Daily Telegraph – Burka ban ruled out by Immigration Minister
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