Australia’s veil of debate | Reportage Online
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Australia’s veil of debate

22 December 2010 5 Comments
By Melissa Wilkinson and Dana McCauley

There has been widespread debate across Europe and Australia over an Islamic woman’s right to wear the burqa, a veil which traditionally covers the entire body leaving only a space for the eyes.

Some say the burqa is offensive and should be banned, while others claim that by doing so, society will end a woman’s freedom to choose what she wears.

The burqa debate reached new heights in Australia after an anti-burqa mural was painted in Newtown, Sydney, Australia.

Is this freedom of speech, or an act of racial and religious discrimination?

Music by Joseph Tawadros.

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5 Comments »

  • Randlward said:

    This is a very measured and thoughtful piece on a very difficult topic.

    [Reply]

  • JenniferJD said:

    A very thoughtful and well presented piece and a subject that will always create very different and controversial views.

    [Reply]

  • Assad said:

    This has nothing to do with a Woman’s Choice.
    The Burqa is intictly linked by some with Islam.
    The information and misinformation is running wild.
    Even members of the Islamic community decieve australians by claiming the burqa is Islamic dress for women.
    The reality is the Burqa is worn as a symbol of superiority.
    Women in burqa feel they are more decent, virtuous and have higher morals than other women who do not wear the same.
    It is a statement saying I am Muslim, here I am, you can not miss me and I am a better person.
    Through all the rubbish is the little known fact the Burqa is UNISLAMIC.

    Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university.
    Al azhar is the highest Islamic institute in the world. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8290606.stm
    Egypt’s highest Muslim authority has said he will issue a religious edict against the growing trend for full women’s veils, known as the niqab. Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university, called full-face veiling a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith.
    Although most Muslim women in Egypt wear the Islamic headscarf, increasing numbers are adopting the niqab as well.
    The practice is widely associated with more conservative trends of Islam.
    The niqab question reportedly arose when Sheikh Tantawi was visiting a girls’ school in Cairo at the weekend and asked one of the students to remove her niqab.
    The Egyptian newspaper al-Masri al-Yom quoted him expressing surprise at the girl’s attire and telling her it was merely a tradition, with no connection to religion or the Koran. The highest Islamic religious institute in the world has condemned the association of the burqa with islam.

    [Reply]

    Sergio Reply:

    Type your comment here.Assad,thankyou for telling other Australians the truth about this issue, Australia needs more people like you to just stand up explain the basics about Burqas and Niqabs, and if your an Austalian Muslim thankyou twice as much because I understand how hard it would be for you. sergio

    [Reply]

  • Thomas said:

    What i want to say here, as atypical ausie male with irish decendants is ,i can pick a faceless,womem at a brothel ,and as far as i can see these women who wear the burqu are being used in the same the same fasion as a cheap whore , by puting the burqa on you putting youre selfs out there to be used and abused by men who are still living in the 19 th century , For god sake (and i never thought id say this ,wher are the wons libbers) wake up australian women.

    [Reply]

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