Melburnian Asmaa Shamseddine follows the Muslim faith. She started wearing the niqab as a teenager 11 years ago. I studied it, so my reason changed. For me, it became a symbol to show I'm Muslim," Ms Shamseddine reasoned. Asmaa Shamseddine started wearing the niqab as a teen. Asmah Shamseddine. She believes the Swiss decision does, in fact, "infringe upon the rights of Muslim women", and that similar laws abound across the world to "target this group specifically".
Now it's everyone's right but for Muslim women," Ms Shamseddine lamented. So, we have experience in dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds," Ms Shamseddine argued. Read more Grand mufti calls for laws to protect Muslims against the 'virus' of Islamophobia. While the court ultimately found that the ban was permissible, it rejected a number of arguments put forward in support of the ban.
This includes those relied upon by Nile. His arguments rests heavily on the assertion that a ban on face veils is necessary to protect public safety. He has explicitly linked this latest push to ban the burqa to the rise of Islamic State. Criminals and terrorists can and do use face coverings to hide their identities. However, a blanket ban is not the only solution.
Police have been given the power to request a person remove their face covering for the purposes of checking their identity. This is a proportionate and sensible approach. Face veils can, in certain circumstances, impede identification and pose a security risk. While some supporters of Islamic State may wear the burqa, it does not necessarily follow that the two issues are linked. The attempts by Nile, Bernardi and Lambie to draw a link are little more than a dog whistle to the frightened and intolerant.
The direct security threat posed the face veil is very low. NSW District Court judge Audrey Balla made global headlines last year when she refused to let a Muslim woman give evidence in court unless she removed her burqa.
Judge Balla offered to close the court for Elzahed or let her give evidence via video link from another room. Disturbingly, a recent research report on Islamophobia in Australia revealed that Muslim women who venture out on their own are three times more likely than men to face harassment.
Women wearing Islamic head coverings — often with young children in tow — have been the main targets of Islamophobic abuse and attacks by Anglo-Celtic Australian men over the past year. The men followed her down the street; no one intervened. It is quite scary for women and their children. Australia is in the midst of a debate about whether to become the 14th nation to ban the wearing of the burqa in public spaces.
Q: Do you think it is right to ban the burqa — not only in Australia, but also in different countries where this is happening? A: These bills are manifestations of Islamophobia, the hatred and fear of Islam, Muslims and the discriminatory practices that result from that fear.
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