by Mothiur Rahman

Created on: December 11, 2009

There are two issues to bear in mind when attempting to answer this question: i. Will the introduction of this law-or any law-actually do what it intends to do; which in this case, we can assume, is the liberating of women? ii. Will 'not' introducing this law have a negative impact on society?

It is clear from Sarkozy's words that he believes the burka is a sign of oppression. He expressed these feelings by describing those who wear it as '

prisoners behind netting'; and even went as far as saying 'welcome on the territory of the French republic'. If there is any justification for banning the burka, this is the only reason.

Other arguments which revolve around points like 'they need to be identified in case of crime' etc. should not be allowed into this debate, because it would necessitate the banning of anything that effects identification. This would include things like hooded tops for example; a piece of clothing that allows one to become 'less' identifiable should one choose to use it in that way. It would also mean that masks should be banned, even if it means you are only going to a fancy dress party because it is possible to commit a crime on the way to the venue. In other words, under no circumstances should anybody be allowed to wear anything that prevents another member of public from pasting an image of their face in his/her mind. This seems quite ridiculous; and what makes it even more ridiculous is that any such clothing must also be banned from the market—something that is only reasonable. If something is banned, then it is also illegal to sell it; like class ‘A’ drugs. Hooded tops and every kind of mask will not be banned however, not only because they help the French economy—be it slightly—but because it would be stupid to do so. Nevertheless, it would be necessary if the argument for banning the burka is based on identification; otherwise the Muslim community will justifiably feel marginalised, victimised, targeted and every other negative state of being that results from having a law that only seems to apply to them.

More to the point; in tackling Sarkozy's argument, it must be asked whether these Muslim women feel like 'prisoners' or not. One of the most extraordinarily noticeable traits of the proponents of these views is that they never seem to share information on what 'Muslim women' want. It does not help the debate if we are always told what Michele Alliot-Marie, Jack Straw and any other type of human beings

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