Peter Parka
Well-Known Member
It has been in France and do you think your country should follow suit too?
I am extremely proud of my MP for his argument against in his blog and I agree with him -
Far from strengthening our free society, a ban on Burkas weakens us
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I don't think anyone reading my blog over the past two years, would have any doubts as to my attitude and approach to extreme Islamists. Yet, I am profoundly against our own Government banning the Burka - as has happened in France.
My reasons are simple and can be summed up in two words: Individual liberty. This is something to be cherished, whether we like or approve of what the individual chooses to do - as long as he or she does not harm any one else by his or her actions.
Freedom is rarely lost all at once - it usually happens incrementally via small measures. So, once the State establishes the principle of banning the Burka, it makes it that much easier to resrict something else. First the Burka, then a Turban, after a Cross or a Star of David even. Why not then move to curtail long hair, short hair, tatoos? Where does it stop?
As an open society, we should be as tolerant of Burkas as we are of people walking down the streets with face-paint. We may not like it, but that does not mean the State should intefere - in order to appease our sensibilities.
Of course there are exceptions. Schools and hospitals for example, have an obvious right to refuse employees the right to wear the Burka, whilst they are at work. What they do, out of work and at home, is entirely up to them.
We won't get to grips with extreme Islamists by banning the Burka. Far from it - in doing so, we only play into their hands. If we are confident in our own skin of liberty, we have no need to threaten others. Far from strengthening our free society, a ban on Burkas actually weakens us. It suggests that we no longer have faith that our own open society can triumph without the force of the State.
It is the extreme Islamists who want to curtail liberty, and decide what we should or should not wear. Far better to deal with the causes than with some of the symptoms. Lets not walk into the trap the Islamists are setting us.
http://www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com/
:clap:clap
I know you've seen me argue against free speech in situations where it's just for goading people but I really dont see this as the case here.
My reply to his blog -
I congratulate you on your rational reaction to stupid, knee jerking, sensational tabloids and their cynical attempts to sell papers by whipping up hysteria against a group of people. While I disagree with Muslim beliefs, they for the largest part are peaceful, law abiding citizens working hard and going about their business.
I am extremely proud of my MP for his argument against in his blog and I agree with him -
Far from strengthening our free society, a ban on Burkas weakens us
ShareThis
I don't think anyone reading my blog over the past two years, would have any doubts as to my attitude and approach to extreme Islamists. Yet, I am profoundly against our own Government banning the Burka - as has happened in France.
My reasons are simple and can be summed up in two words: Individual liberty. This is something to be cherished, whether we like or approve of what the individual chooses to do - as long as he or she does not harm any one else by his or her actions.
Freedom is rarely lost all at once - it usually happens incrementally via small measures. So, once the State establishes the principle of banning the Burka, it makes it that much easier to resrict something else. First the Burka, then a Turban, after a Cross or a Star of David even. Why not then move to curtail long hair, short hair, tatoos? Where does it stop?
As an open society, we should be as tolerant of Burkas as we are of people walking down the streets with face-paint. We may not like it, but that does not mean the State should intefere - in order to appease our sensibilities.
Of course there are exceptions. Schools and hospitals for example, have an obvious right to refuse employees the right to wear the Burka, whilst they are at work. What they do, out of work and at home, is entirely up to them.
We won't get to grips with extreme Islamists by banning the Burka. Far from it - in doing so, we only play into their hands. If we are confident in our own skin of liberty, we have no need to threaten others. Far from strengthening our free society, a ban on Burkas actually weakens us. It suggests that we no longer have faith that our own open society can triumph without the force of the State.
It is the extreme Islamists who want to curtail liberty, and decide what we should or should not wear. Far better to deal with the causes than with some of the symptoms. Lets not walk into the trap the Islamists are setting us.
http://www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com/
:clap:clap
I know you've seen me argue against free speech in situations where it's just for goading people but I really dont see this as the case here.
My reply to his blog -
I congratulate you on your rational reaction to stupid, knee jerking, sensational tabloids and their cynical attempts to sell papers by whipping up hysteria against a group of people. While I disagree with Muslim beliefs, they for the largest part are peaceful, law abiding citizens working hard and going about their business.
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