George Galloway Speaks to 3 Anti-burqa Callers!
George Galloway speaks to a trio of Burqa hating callers (on the recent ban of wearing the burqa in public in France), each one with their own take on the Islamic women's dress.

1st caller thinks that the Burqa is intimidating to him. The caller challenges Galloway if he thinks if Nikolas Sarkozy and Bernard Kouchner. Galloway believes the former is a racist and the latter not. He justifies the calling a Sarko as a racist because of his policies on the Roma (gypsy) people. Double standards here. The caller is fine with the burqa ban but doesn't like the rounding up of the Roma people. The caller invokes Saudi Arabia (several times) regarding under age marriages and polygamy (None of his business say Galloway).

2nd caller claims that Muslim husbands force their Muslim wives to wear the burqa without citing a credible source. She also invokes the Saudi Arabia agreement like with the previous caller. Galloway points out that all societies are male dominated.

3rd caller apparently has no clue about how many Muslim women in the UK actually wear the burqa. Galloway states that 99% of Muslim women in the UK do not cover their faces.

Originally broadcasted on 17th September 2010.

Belgium Decides To Ban The Burqa
Photo: Yahoo! News
YAHOO! NEWS: Belgium is set to become the first ever country in Europe to ban the burqa from being worn in public places.

The vote in Parliament for a nationwide ban on Islamic clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified was almost unanimous.

The full-face niqab and burqa worn by some muslim women are not a mandatory requirement for the religion of Islam, but one of personal choice. >>> Sky News | Friday, April 30, 2010

Belgian MPs Vote to Ban the Burqa
THE TELEGRAPH: Belgium is set to become the first country in Europe to ban the burqa after the country's parliament voted on Thursday night to prohibit the wearing of the face-covering Islamic veil in public.

Not a single MP in the lower house of parliament voted against the ban on clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified, including full-face Muslim dress such as the niqab or burqa. There were two abstentions.

Supporters said the law would help fight terrorism and grant rights to Muslim women.

Daniel Bacquelaine, one of the liberal MPs who originally called for the ban, insisted the new law was "aimed at stopping people from not being identified".

"It's not about introducing any form of discrimination," he said.
The ban, which is thought to affect around 100 women, would be imposed in streets, public gardens and sports grounds or buildings "meant for public use or to provide services".

Those Muslims who ignore the ban could face fines of £22 and a jail sentence of up to seven days unless they have written police permission to wear the garments. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Thursday, April 29. 2010

Les députés belges interdisent le port du voile intégral
LE FIGARO: Si le texte est également adopté par le Sénat, la Belgique sera le premier État européen à légiférer sur le sujet.

La Belgique, déchirée entre Flamands et francophones, serre les rangs contre la burqa. Dans un rare moment d'unanimité, la Chambre des représentants a voté jeudi soir l'interdiction totale du voile islamique intégral dans l'espace public, faisant du royaume le premier État européen à légiférer sur le sujet. La loi doit encore être adoptée par le Sénat.

L'image du pays est peut-être écornée mais «on peut être fier d'être belge aujourd'hui, a affirmé l'un des initiateurs de la loi, le député réformateur Denis Ducarme. Nous espérons être rapidement suivis par les Français, les Suisses, les Italiens et les Néerlandais». Le texte, qui devait être voté au pied levé en début de soirée, a survécu contre toute attente à la démission du gouvernement Leterme. >>> Par Jean-Jacques Mevel, Claire Gallen | Jeudi 29 Avril 2010

Erstes Burka-Verbot in Europa in Belgien verabschiedet: Parlament will Regelung für den gesamten öffentlichen Raum durchsetzen
NZZ ONLINE: Belgien hat als erstes europäisches Land ein Burka-Verbot auf den Weg gebracht. Das Parlament in Brüssel stimmte am Donnerstag mehrheitlich für das Verbot der Vollverschleierung von muslimischen Frauen, das an allen öffentlichen Orten gilt.

136 Abgeordnete stimmten für das Gesetz, zwei enthielten sich. Der Text verbietet «das Tragen jedes Kleidungsstücks, welches das Gesicht ganz oder hauptsächlich verhüllt».

Darunter fallen also die Burka, die ein Stoffgitter vor die Augen setzt, und der Nikab, bei dem ein Sehschlitz frei bleibt. Allerdings wird keines der Kleidungsstücke ausdrücklich genannt. Normale Kopftücher sind ohnehin nicht betroffen, Ausnahmen gibt es für Verkleidungen an Karneval oder für Schutzhelme.

Das Verbot gilt an Orten, die der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich sind. Darunter fallen nach Auskunft von Parlamentariern neben Strassen, Parks und öffentlichen Gebäuden auch Geschäfte und Restaurants. Würde eine Frau dort verschleiert angetroffen, drohen ihr Geldstrafen und/oder Haft von einem bis zu sieben Tagen. >>> sda/afp/dpa | Donnerstag, 29. April 2010

Durch den Sehschlitz einer Burka sind die Augen einer Frau nur zu erahnen. Bild: Berliner Zeitung
Nach Burka-Überfall Schleierdebatte in Australien
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Sydney - Ein mit einer Burka verhüllter Geldräuber hat in Australien eine Debatte über den muslimischen Ganzkörperschleiers wie in Frankreich und Belgien ausgelöst.

Cory Bernardi, Politiker der oppositionellen Partei der Liberalen, brachte das Thema mit einem Blog-Eintrag ins Rollen, in dem er sich für ein Verbot aussprach. >>> © dpa | Freitag, 07. Mai 2010

For Australia's Sake, We Need to Ban the Burqa
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The burqa is no longer simply the symbol of female repression and Islamic culture, it is now emerging as a disguise of bandits and n'er do wells.



In Sydney this morning a man was robbed by a burqa wearing bandit who further disguised his (or her) identity by wearing sunglasses. The bandit was described by police as being of "Middle Eastern appearance".



Well of course he was (assuming it was a he) because the only characteristics the victim could see were the burqa and the sunglasses. Now unless the sunglasses had 'made in Iran' stamped on them, it's fair to say that the 'Middle Eastern appearance' line was attributed to the head to toe veiling of the Islamic burqa.



In my mind, the burqa has no place in Australian society.

I would go as far as to say it is un-Australian. To me, the burqa represents the repressive domination of men over women, which has no place in our society and compromises some of the most important aspects of human communication.



It also establishes a different set of rules and societal expectations in our hitherto homogenous society. Read on (+ video) >>> Cory Bernardi | Thursday, May 06, 2010

Liberals Quick to Back Burqa Ban
WA TODAY: Liberal leader Tony Abbott and WA Premier Colin Barnett have attacked a Muslim woman's request to testify in a court case wearing a full head covering.

A Perth judge is set to decide this week whether the woman who wears the burqa can testify before a jury in a fraud trial. She is a strict Muslim who does not want to show her face to men.

The traditional headscarf, also known as a niqab, covers virtually the whole body, allowing only a small slit for the eyes through which the woman can see.

The Opposition Leader today weighed into the debate, labelling the burqa a "particularly confronting" piece of clothing.

"I find the burqa a particularly confronting form of attire and I would very much wish that fewer Australians would choose it," Mr Abbott told reporters when asked about the case.

Mr Barnett today said he believed Muslim witnesses giving evidence in court should remove their burqa so the "true nature" of their evidence can be seen.

He said although he defended the right of people to dress according to their faith and religion, in this case it would be appropriate for the woman to remove her burqa.

"I would think, normally, witnesses should have their faces exposed," he said.

"I think it's important for the judge and jury to see the true nature of any evidence given, the expressions and the like. But that is a matter for the judge." >>> AAP | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Australian court to rule on whether Muslim woman can give evidence in burka: An intense debate over the burka has been sparked in Australia after a Muslim woman asked a judge to allow her to give evidence while wearing the full veil. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, August 05, 2010

«La burqa est un symbole de soumission»
20 MINUTES: Micheline Calmy-Rey est contre l'interdiction de la burqa, mais aussi contre la burqa.

La burqa, ce vêtement qui recouvre intégralement le corps, est un «symbole d'asservissement de la femme», affirme la ministre des affaires étrangères Micheline Calmy-Rey dans une interview à paraître lundi dans le «Blick».

Cela rend la conseillère fédérale «furieuse». La Suisse n'a pourtant pas de problème de burqa, car très peu de femmes en portent une. Les femmes vêtue d'une burqa se voient surtout dans les médias. >>> ats | Dimanche 16 Mai 2010

«Wir haben kein Burka Problem»
BLICK: BERN – Zum ersten Mal bezieht Aussenministerin Micheline Calmy-Rey im BLICK Stellung in der Burkadebatte.

BLICK: Was halten Sie vom Burkaverbot, das jetzt breit diskutiert wird?

Micheline Calmy-Rey: Ich bin gegen die Burka. Und ich bin gegen ein Burkaverbot.

Erklären Sie das bitte.

Ich bin gegen die Burka. Einmal sah ich bei einem Spaziergang in Genf einige Frauen mit Burka. Ich war wütend. Nicht auf die Frauen, sondern weil die Burka ein Symbol der Versklavung der Frau ist. >>> | Sonntag, 16. Mai 2010

Dutch MPs Push for Anti-Muslim Legislation
Photo of Geert Wilders courtesy of Google Images
CORD WEEKLY: The Dutch parliament is considering a ban on the traditional Islamic garment worn by some women that covers the entire body

As per a Reuters report, of the approximately one million Muslims living in the Netherlands, 50 to 100 women currently wear the burqa. These women will soon be considered to be criminals if a proposed ban on this garment is cleared by the Dutch government.

The burqa is a robe-like outer garment worn by some women of the Islamic faith, which covers them from head to toe and only allows for a small opening for the eyes. It is worn by women outdoors and is only be taken off inside the household.

The Dutch parliament has voted in support of this proposal, and some of the government has shown approval for banning the burqa. Muslims are growing restless in response to this proposal, as the debate between social law and religious freedom intensifies with each passing day.

Some politicians in the Netherlands are linking the burqa to terrorism, saying that the Muslim population is sympathising with radical Islamists. The burqa covers the face from view, which is a concern for some members of parliament who want people to be identifiable in public.

A ban on this garment will certainly result in public unrest, especially since it brings up the issue of violating freedom of religion. In the city of Maaseik in Belgium, a burqa ban is already in place. Police in Maaseik have said that the ban is giving people reasons to resent society and making relations with the Moroccan community difficult.

BBC News interviewed MP Geert Wilders, the first Dutch MP to propose this ban. “It’s a medieval symbol, a symbol against women,” he said. Wilders is a prominent figure in this controversial issue, especially since he produced a film that has been labelled anti-Islam. Although the contents of this ten-minute film are not clear, Wilders tells BBC News that his film will show how the Koran is an inspiration for “intolerance, murder and terror.”

Wilders is the head of the Freedom Party, and ever since Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh was killed by a radical Islamist, Wilders has been under police protection. Van Gogh was killed in 2004 for his film, entitled Submission, which featured a naked woman with scripts from the Koran “tattooed” on her body.

A list pinned on Van Gogh’s corpse named Wilders as an infidel that deserved to be slaughtered. Wilders, however, is determined to release his film, despite warnings of retaliation from the Islamic community, even saying that he will release it on the Internet if no Dutch broadcaster will. Dutch MPs Pushing for Anti-Muslim Legislation >>> By Shagun Randhawa

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Op-Ed Contributor: Ban the Burqa
THE NEW YORK TIMES: NEW YORK — I am a Muslim, I am a feminist and I detest the full-body veil, known as a niqab or burqa. It erases women from society and has nothing to do with Islam but everything to do with the hatred for women at the heart of the extremist ideology that preaches it.

We must not sacrifice women at the altar of political correctness or in the name of fighting a growingly powerful right wing that Muslims face in countries where they live as a minority.

As disagreeable as I often find French President Nicolas Sarkozy, he was right when he said recently, “The burqa is not a religious sign, it is a sign of the subjugation, of the submission of women. I want to say solemnly that it will not be welcome on our territory.” It should not be welcome anywhere, I would add.

Yet his words have inspired attempts to defend the indefensible — the erasure of women.

Some have argued that Sarkozy’s right-leaning, anti-Muslim bias was behind his opposition to the burqa. But I would remind them of comments in 2006 by the then-British House of Commons leader Jack Straw, who said the burqa prevents communication. He was right, and he was hardly a right-winger — and yet he too was attacked for daring to speak out against the burqa. >>> Mona Eltahawy | Thursday, July 02, 2009

Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian-born commentator on Arab and Muslim issues.

Should the West Ban the Burqa?
FOX NEWS: Early in June, Iran denounced European “intolerance” vis-à-vis the burqa. But is this true?

Many Muslims have come to the West in search of freedom and modernity; others have not. Controversy is inevitable. Islamist leaders believe that the West must “tolerate” the practice of gender apartheid as a “religious” right.

Western leaders have condemned the Islamic veil as a sign of hostility to Western ways and as a refusal to integrate. Muslim and ex-Muslim feminists and secularists have condemned the veil as a violation of women’s human rights and claim that it is not a religious requirement.



Many Muslim and ex-Muslim experts on Islam insist that the Qu’ran does not command women to cover their faces, bodies or hair. Women are merely told to dress modestly. They further point out that for part or all of the 20th century, many women in Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Afghanistan, stopped wearing the veil and wore western dress. Islamists claim that the veil is a religious requirement; that bikinis are worse than burqas; that veiled Muslim women are sacred and as such, should not be exposed to corrupting Western, secular mores.

All Europe is wrestling with the issue of whether to ban the Islamic veil.

On May 19, the French cabinet finally voted to ban the burqa. If parliament approves the bill this summer, female violators will be fined 150 euros; men who force their wives to cover their faces will be fined 15,000 euros and will face jail time. France did this despite a 2009 threat by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to “do all in our power and take revenge at the first opportunity against France.”

In May, 2010, a burqa-clad woman in Novara, Italy, was fined 500 euros; the city had previously banned burqas and niqabs. In April, 2010, the lower house of Parliament in Belgium approved a ban on burqas and niqabs. In April, in Madrid, a girl wearing hijab was sent home from school. Throughout Germany, women are not allowed to drive while wearing a burqa. As of January 2010, 53% of Swedes polled wanted a ban on burqas and niqab in public. In May, 2010, in France and Switzerland, women physically attacked women who were wearing a burqa or a headscarf.

Where does America stand on the Islamic veil? In his June 2009 speech in Cairo, President Obama had this to say: "The U.S. government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it." Muslim feminists have condemned the president, arguing that the West must fight for a woman’s right not to wear the veil as well. >>> Phyllis Chesler | Saturday, June 05, 2010

Phyllis Chesler, is an author and emerita professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies. She once lived in Kabul, Afghanistan. She may be reached through her website www.phyllis-chesler.com.

Muslim Feathers Ruffled Over Sarkozy’s Sensible Burqa Ban Proposal
THE TELEGRAPH: Muslim leaders in Britain have warned that President Nicolas Sarkozy's calls for the burqa to be banned in France risk fuelling hostility towards Islam.

Photo: The Guardian
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said Mr Sarkozy's claim that the head-to-toe garments worn by Islamic women signify subservience were "patronising and offensive".

Its criticism comes after Mr Sarkozy used a policy speech on Monday to declare the burqa was "not welcome" in France.

In a move which threatens to reignite the debate over religious clothing in the country, Mr Sarkozy said: "The burqa is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience.

"We cannot accept to have in our country women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, deprived of identity."

The MCB reacted by calling on Mr Sarkozy to "desist from engaging in and promoting divisive politics" towards France's Muslim population.

Dr Reefat Drabu, assistant secretary general of the MCB, said in a statement: "It is patronising and offensive to suggest that those Muslim women who wear the burqa do so because of pressure or oppression by their male partners or guardians."

Speaking for the umbrella group of more than 500 Muslim organisations including mosques, charities and community groups, she added: "Such suggestions can legitimately be perceived as antagonistic towards Islam.

"Instead of taking a lead in promoting harmony and social cohesion amongst its people, the French President appears to be initiating a policy which is set to create fear and misunderstanding and may lead to Islamophobic reaction not just in France but in the rest of Europe too."

Mr Sarkozy's presidential address to a joint session of France's two houses of parliament stood in stark contrast to comments made by US President Barack Obama earlier this month. Muslim leaders condemn Sarkozy over burqa ban >>> Murray Wardrop | Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Les députés belges veulent interdire le voile intégral
Femme portant le niqab, un "voile intégral" qui ne laisse voir que les yeux. Photo : Le Monde
LE MONDE: Les députés belges membres de la commission de l'intérieur de la Chambre ont approuvé à l'unanimité, mercredi 31 mars, une proposition de loi visant à interdire le port de la burqa dans les lieux publics.

Ce texte doit être approuvé prochainement en séance publique mais, selon ses auteurs, il marque déjà une importante première dans un pays européen. "Nous devons ressentir de la fierté d'oser faire cette démarche alors qu'il y a aussi des débats en France, en Suisse, en Italie", a expliqué le député Denis Ducarme, membre du Mouvement réformateur (libéral francophone).

Le texte n'évoque pas explicitement la burqa ou le niqab. Il parle de "tout vêtement cachant totalement ou de manière principale le visage". Si la personne qui porte un tel vêtement n'est plus identifiable, elle sera punie d'une amende ou d'un emprisonnement (de 1 à 7 jours).

La notion d'"espace public" évoquée par le texte recouvre les trottoirs, les accotements, les passages aériens et souterrains pour piétons, les parcs, les jardins publics, les terrains de sport, les aires de jeu, les bâtiments à vocation culturelle accessibles au public et les bâtiments des services publics. >>> Bruxelles, correspondant | Mercredi 31 Mars 2010

LE MONDE: Débat sur le voile intégral : où en sont nos voisins ? >>> | Dimanche 28 Mars 2010

Al hamdu lillah! Belgium Moves to Ban the Burqa
TIMES ONLINE: The face-covering veil is set to be banned within weeks in Belgium, making it the first country in Europe to make the wearing of Muslim clothing illegal.

Women who flout the ban will face from one to seven days in jail or a fine of 15 to 25 euros.

While President Sarkozy is encountering obstacles to his plans to outlaw the face-covering niqab in France, Belgium's main parties are united behind the move and the influential home affairs committee voted for it unanimously today.

A vote in the full Belgian parliament is expected on April 22 and a "yes" vote seems assured given the political consensus.

"Wearing the burqa in public is not compatible with an open, liberal, tolerant society," said MP Daniel Bacquelaine, from a French-speaking centre right party who proposed the bill.

"The burqa is contrary to the dignity of women. It is a walking prison."

He added: "We cannot allow someone to claim the right to look at others without being seen.

"It is necessary that the law forbids the wearing of clothes that totally mask and encloses an individual."

Denis Ducarme MP, also from the centre-right Reform Movement, added: "This is a very strong signal that is being sent to Islamists. I am proud that Belgium would be the first country in Europe which dares to legislate on this sensitive matter." >>> David Charter, Brussels | Wednesday, March 31, 2010

A perfectly accurate assessment of Europe today
“Islam itself is the problem. Islam is a violent religion. The Prophet Mohammed was a violent man. The Quran is mostly a violent book. We should invest in Muslim people but they have to first get rid of half the Quran and half of their beliefs.” – Geert Wilders

“It [the burqa] is a medieval token of a barbaric time, of how not to treat women, even if they want to wear it themselves.” "Allowing Muslims to wear the burqa in the Netherlands, or to have segregated swimming sessions so as not to offend religious sensitivities, amounts to 'religious apartheid'". – Geert Wilders

Photo courtesy of Google Images

THE TELEGRAPH: An anti-immigrant politician is making a meteoric rise with his call on the Dutch - once one of the most tolerant nations in the world - to stop Islam taking over Europe.

Geert Wilders, the 43-year-old leader of the Freedom Party, is convinced that governments are being forced to accommodate a 'tsunami of Islamisation' that is fundamentally incompatible with European social values.

"Islam itself is the problem. Islam is a violent religion," he told The Daily Telegraph. "The Prophet Mohammed was a violent man. The Koran is mostly a violent book. We should invest in Muslim people but they have to first get rid of half the Koran and half of their beliefs," he said.

The Freedom Party has jumped from six to 10 per cent in opinion polls since November. His passionate campaign for a ban on the Islamic veil, or burqa, in public places is gaining such momentum that the country's new coalition government could be forced to introduce the ban it does not support.

On the burqa, Mr Wilders is adamant: "It is a medieval token of a barbaric time, of how not to treat women, even if they want to wear it themselves," he argues.

Allowing Muslims to wear the burqa in the Netherlands, or to have segregated swimming sessions so as not to offend religious sensitivities, amounts to "religious apartheid" he says. Islam is taking over, says Dutch politician by Bruno Waterfield

Mark Alexander

Fadela Amara: "La majorité des musulmans sont contre la burqa"
L’EXPRESS.fr: Dans un entretien au Financial Times, la secrétaire d'Etat à la Ville s'en prend au voile intégral, reflet de "la manipulation politique d'une religion".

La secrétaire d'Etat à la Ville Fadela Amara estime que l'interdiction de la burqa en France permettrait d'enrayer le cancer que constitue, à ses yeux, l'islam radical.

Dans le quotidien britannique Financial Times, daté de samedi, elle assure que "la vaste majorité des musulmans sont contre la burqa", vêtement couvrant l'ensemble du corps et le visage.

"La gangrène de l'islam radical"

"La burqa ne représente pas simplement un morceau de tissu mais la manipulation politique d'une religion qui réduit les femmes à l'esclavage et va à l'encontre du principe d'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes", déclare-t-elle.

La France, havre d'un islam progressiste, se doit de "combattre la gangrène, le cancer que représente l'islam radical qui déforme complètement le message de l'islam", ajoute Fadela Amara.

Le débat sur le voile intégral a repris récemment en France à l'initiative d'un député communiste, qui a obtenu la création d'une mission parlementaire sur le sujet.

En juin dernier, Nicolas Sarkozy avait déclaré que le voile intégral n'était "pas le bienvenu sur le territoire de la République".

Selon une estimation des services de renseignement récemment évoquée par le quotidien Le Monde, seules 367 femmes porteraient la burqa dans le pays, dont nombre de Françaises converties à l'islam, dans une "démarche provocatrice." [Source: L’Express.fr] Par LEXPRESS.fr avec Reuters | Samedi 15 Août 2009

Burqa: Al-Qaïda menace la France
leJDD.fr: Al-Qaïda s'est invité mardi dans le débat sur le port de la burqa en France. En réaction notamment à la position de Nicolas Sarkozy, qui a affirmé le 22 juin que ce voile intégral n'était "pas le bienvenu" dans l'Hexagone, la branche maghrébine de la nébuleuse terroriste a en effet menacé, mardi via des forums internet relayé par le centre américain SITE, de s'en prendre à la France. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Mardi 30 Juin 2009

LE FIGARO: Burqa : al-Qaida menace
la France

La branche maghrébine d'al-Qaida promet de se «venger» après les propos de Nicolas Sarkozy sur le port du voile intégral en France. Le président français avait déclaré que la burqa n'était «pas la bienvenue» sur le territoire français.

Le sujet avait créé la polémique et la réaction islamiste ne s'est pas fait attendre. Selon le centre américain de surveillance des sites islamistes SITE, citant des forums djihadistes sur internet, la branche maghrébine d'al-Qaida a menacé de se venger de la France après l'opposition de Nicolas Sarkozy au port de la burqa en France. «Nous nous vengerons de la France et de ses intérêts par tous les moyens à notre disposition, pour l'honneur de nos filles et de nos sœurs», a affirmé le dirigeant d'al-Qaida au Maghreb islamique (AQMI) Abou Moussab Abdoul Wadoud, cité par le SITE Intelligence Group. Créé en 2002, le Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Intelligence Group est spécialisé dans la recherche et le dépistage de l'activité sur internet des organisations terroristes.

Al-Qaida a également appelé les musulmans à réagir à «l'hostilité de la France contre leur communauté religieuse» et ses tentatives pour empêcher, selon le groupe extrémiste, la pratique de l'islam. «Nous, les moujahidines, ne resterons pas silencieux face à de telles provocations et injustices», a déclaré Abdoul Wadoud. D'après le chef islamiste, les cinq millions de musulmans de France sont «de plus en plus préoccupés par les pratiques des hommes politiques et des dirigeants français et leur harcèlement».

Al-Qaida au Maghreb islamique a revendiqué de nombreux attentats meurtriers en Algérie. Le groupe était anciennement connu sous le nom de Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat (GSPC) avant de faire allégeance à la nébuleuse al-Qaida. >>> Mathieu Szeradzki (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP | Mardi 30 Juin 2009

IC PUBLICATIONS: Qaeda Warns of Revenge on France for Burka Warning

Al-Qaeda's North Africa wing threatened on Tuesday to take revenge on France after President Nicolas Sarkozy said the Islamic burka was not welcome, the US monitoring service SITE Intelligence reported.

"Yesterday was the hijab (the Islamic headscarf long banned in French schools) and today, it is the niqab (the veil)," the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Abu Musab Abdul Wadud was quoted as saying.

"We will take revenge for the honour of our daughters and sisters against France and against its interests by every means at our disposal." [Source: ICPublications] | AFP | Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A Zurich, débat entre femmes sur la burqa
Autour du modérateur du Tages Anzeiger, trois pros et trois antis interdiction du voile intégral en Suisse ont débattu mardi soir à Zurich. Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: A l’invitation du Tages Anzeiger, six femmes ont débattu mardi soir à Zurich de l’interdiction de la burqa. Même parmi celles qui s’opposent à une interdiction, le scepticisme, voire l’agressivité envers la seule femme à porter le voile intégral lors de la discussion était palpable

Faut-il interdire la burqa, ou plutôt le niqab, pour employer le terme correct? Le Tages Anzeiger avait invité six femmes pour en débattre, mardi soir à Zurich. Parmi elles, Nora Illi, déléguée aux questions féminines du Conseil central islamique suisse, qui, drapée dans son voile intégral noir, a cristallisé l’irritation, voire l’agressivité de toutes les participantes, mêmes de celles qui s’engageaient à ses côtés pour une interdiction de la burqa. Le public, des femmes à une large majorité, était acquis à une interdiction. Extraits des échanges parfois vifs qui ont animé la soirée.

Opposée à une interdiction, la conseillère nationale Jacqueline Fehr, a commencé par attaquer violemment Nora Illi: «La question de l’interdiction de la burqa est un faux débat qui nous coûte de l’énergie que nous ferions mieux d’investir pour améliorer l’intégration. Cela ne concerne pas Mme Illi qui peut faire ce qu’elle veut. Avec le zèle de convertie qu’elle démontre, et sa manière de se couper des autres, je la considère plutôt comme membre d’une secte.» >>> Catherine Cossy | Mercredi 26 Mai 2010

Eine blöde Schweizerin, die sich zum Islam bekehrt hat. Dümmer geht’s doch nicht! (Mit Video in Schweizerdeutsch*) >>>

Deux mille femmes portent la burqa en France
Une femme vêtue d'une burqa à Vénissieux, près de Lyon. Les parlementaires réclament une évaluation plus précise du nombre de personnes portant un voile intégral. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: L'évaluation est contenue dans un rapport confidentiel du ministère de l'Intérieur sur l'islam que Le Figaro a pu consulter.

Quelque 2 000 femmes porteraient la burqa en France. Le chiffre apparaît dans un rapport sur l'islam, rédigé cet été par la sous-direction de l'information générale du ministère de l'Intérieur et resté confidentiel. La note, que Le Figaro a pu consulter, évoque notamment les mouvements radicaux comme le salafisme, qui prône un retour à la vie du prophète et commande aux femmes de porter le voile intégral. S'il est impossible de les compter individuellement, les policiers se sont livrés à une estimation sur la base des lieux de culte salafistes. Le «chiffre de moins de 2 000 femmes paraît crédible», peut-on lire.

«C'est une évaluation plus raisonnable mais toujours sous-estimée», juge André Gerin, le président de la mission parlementaire sur la burqa qui reprend ses travaux aujourd'hui.

L'ancien maire de Vénissieux, en banlieue lyonnaise, alarmé par l'augmentation du nombre de ces femmes totalement dissimulées, avait lancé le débat au printemps, réclamant une commission d'enquête parlementaire. Nicolas Sarkozy avait affirmé, lors de son discours devant le Congrès à Versailles, que «la burqa n'était pas la bienvenue en France». >>> Cécilia Gabizon | Mercredi 09 Septembre 2009

Paris : La statue de la République recouverte d'une burqa géante
20MINUTES.ch: Une soixantaine de jeunes militants ont recouvert samedi à Paris la statue symbolisant la République française, sur la place du même nom, d'une burqa noire géante. Ils entendaient célébrer ainsi la journée de la femme avec deux jours d'avance.

Les manifestants, dont une petite dizaine de garçons, appartenant à l'association «Ni putes ni soumises», ont organisé un défilé circulaire en brandissant des pancartes «Ni voile ni burqa», «service public = avortement et contraception» ou «raser mes jambes oui, raser les murs non».

Un peu plus tard, les manifestants ont symboliquement recouvert la statue d'une burqa noire géante, afin de protester contre ce qu'ils estiment être un retard pris dans le vote d'une loi interdisant la burqa dans les lieux publics. >>> ats | Dimanche 07 Mars 2010

Australian Court Orders Muslim Witness to Testify Without Burka
THE TELEGRAPH: An Australian court has ruled that a Muslim woman must remove her burka while she gives evidence so that the jury can assess her facial expressions.

Judge Shauna Deane of the Perth District Court said that it was "inappropriate" for the woman, only identified as Tasneem, to have her face covered while testifying in the A$752,000 (£433,000) fraud trial.

Lawyers for Tasneem, 36, had asked the judge to allow her to give evidence while wearing the burka because she had not removed the veil in public as an adult and would find the experience highly stressful.

The full Islamic veil covers the whole body except the eyes and hands.

Mark Ritter, prosecuting, told the court that Tasneem, who emigrated to Australia seven years ago, had worn the garment since she was 17.

He said she wanted to give evidence but would feel uncomfortable without the burka and that could prejudice the way she presented her evidence.

"It goes beyond stress, it would have a negative impact," he said.

However, the defence raised concerns about how the jury could assess her credibility if they could not see her face. They argued that wearing the garment was a cultural, not a religious, choice and that even in Islamic courts women were required to remove the veil. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, August 19, 2010

Burqa Decision Ripples Across World
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: IT WAS just one decision made by one judge in one case in Perth and Judge Shauna Deane was at pains to make that clear.

But the impact of her decision yesterday to order a Muslim woman to remove her burqa in Western Australia's District Court is unlikely to remain so localised.

A prosecution witness known only as Tasneem, 36, has kept her surname a secret but will have to show her face in the fraud trial of a former Muslim school director called Anwar Sayed.

Mr Sayed's defence team - to their client's apparent dismay - had argued the jury should be able to see her facial expressions.
Tasneem had a ''right to religious expression'', Judge Deane found, but she had to be fair to everyone involved in the trial.

The decision was reported around the world and will be popular in Western Australia, with about 80 per cent of 3000 recent respondents to the watoday.com.au and 6PR radio websites believing the witness should be made to remove her burqa. >>> Joel Gibson | Friday, August 20, 2010

Judge Bans Burqa From Perth Court
WA TODAY: The Muslim woman who wished to testify while wearing a full-face veil says she accepts the decision by a Perth District Court judge to ban the niqab.

The 36-year old woman, known only as Tasneem, is a witness in a case against Anwar Sayed.

Mr Sayed is accused of fraudulently stealing up to $750,000 in public funds by artificially inflating student numbers at his school, the Muslim Ladies College in Perth's southern suburbs.

Today, judge Shauna Deane said that in the interest of a fair trial the witness should not be allowed to wear a niqab, commonly known as a burqa.

But she said she would speak to counsel about ways to accommodate Tasneem's desire to maintain her modesty in line with how she practices her faith.

Tasneem issued a written statement following the decision, which said: "I accept her decision and thank her for her careful consideration of this matter.

"I appreciate my request to wear my niqab in court has stirred much public debate, however, I would emphasise that this was not a demand, I merely asked to dress as I normally would in front of people I do not know."

She said she was not trying to make a religious statement.

"This is my personal choice and rather than oppressing me, it liberates me," Tasneem said.

"Like many Australians I believe in God and for me wearing the niqab serves as a constant reminder that I am accountable for my actions.

"I respect that other women who share my religion do not share this particular belief and that interpretations surrounding Islamic dress standards do differ.

"Therefore I understand this can be confusing for non-Muslims as they witness varying degrees of cover and I accept the full cover I choose to wear can be confronting to some." (+ video) >>> Aja Styles | Thursday, August 19, 2010

Afghan Women’s Defiance and Despair: ‘I Never Thought I’d Have to Wear a Burqa. My Identity Will Be Lost’

Outside a beauty parlour in Kabul last week; the burqa is synonymous with Afghan women’s identity worldwide. Photograph: Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images
Women’s report in Afghanistan [WR]: Global development [GD]
THE GUARDIAN: As city after city falls to the Taliban, women fear that the freedoms won since 2001 will be crushed

In a market in Kabul, Aref is doing a booming trade. At first glance, the walls of his shop seem to be curtained in folds of blue fabric. On closer inspection, dozens and dozens of blue burqas hang like spectres from hooks on the wall. As the Taliban close in on Kabul, women inside the city are getting ready for what may be coming. “Before, most of our customers were from the provinces,” says Aref. “Now it is city women who are buying them.”

One of these women is Aaila, who is haggling with another shopkeeper over rapidly inflating burqa prices. “Last year these burqas cost AFS 200 [£2]. Now they’re trying to sell them to us for AFS 2,000 to 3,000,” she says. As the fear among women in Kabul has grown, the prices have risen.

For decades, the traditional Afghan burqa, mostly sold in shades of blue, was synonymous with Afghan women’s identity around the world. Usually made of heavy cloth, it is specifically designed to cover the wearer from head to toe. A netted fabric is placed near the eyes so that the woman inside can peer out through the meshing but nobody can see inside. It was enforced strictly during the Taliban regime in the late 1990s, and failure to wear one while in public could earn women severe punishments and public lashings from the Taliban’s “moral police”.

After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, even though many continued to choose to wear the burqa in adherence to religious and traditional beliefs, its rejection by millions of others across the country became a symbol of a new dawn for the country’s women, who were able to dictate what they wore for themselves again.

Today, there are burqas in the streets of downtown Kabul but women are also dressed in an array of different styles, many mixing traditional materials with colourful modern patterns and fashion inspiration from across the region. » | Zainab Pirzad and Atefa Alizada from Rukhshana Media | Sunday, August 15, 2021

Suisse: Le vote sur la burqa inquiète les milieux touristiques

LE MATIN: TESSIN — Les professionnels du tourisme estiment que l’interdiction du voile intégral peut avoir un impact négatif sur l'économie suisse. Pour l'UDC Jean-François Rime, le niqab n'est pas un thème d'importance.

Le secteur touristique suisse s'inquiète de la réaction des riches touristes provenant des pays arabes après l'acceptation, il y a une semaine par les Tessinois, de l'interdiction du port de la burqa. Le président de l'usam Jean-François Rime n'y voit, lui, aucune influence.

«Cette menace est exagérée», explique le conseiller national UDC dans le SonntagsBlick. Il ne pense pas que les touristes des pays arabes vont bouder la Suisse.

Le Fribourgeois n'a vu que peu de femmes portant la burqa dans les pays arabes. «C'est pourquoi je ne crois pas que les touristes voilées de ces Etats apportent beaucoup d'argent en Suisse. La burqa et le niqab ne sont ni un thème important pour l'économie ni un problème économique», ajoute M. Rime.

La directrice de la Fédération suisse du tourisme Barbara Gisi pense tout le contraire dans le même journal: «Les touristes des Etats du golfe Persique se demandent s'ils doivent venir en Suisse à l'avenir», s'inquiète-t-elle. «Une interdiction nationale de la burqa pourrait avoir un impact négatif», estime-t-elle. Selon la fédération, les Arabes dépensent particulièrement beaucoup d'argent en Suisse. » | ats/Newsnet | dimanche 29 septembre 2013

Paris: Männer in Burka rauben Postfiliale aus
DIE PRESSE: Zwei mit Ganzkörperschleiern Maskierte erbeuteten unerkannt 4500 Euro. Erst als sie die Waffen zogen und Geld verlangten wurde offenbar, dass es sich nicht um Frauen handelt.

Äußerst ungewöhnlich getarnt haben zwei Männer in der Nähe von Paris eine Postfiliale überfallen. Statt ihr Gesicht mit der in Gangsterkreisen üblichen Sturmhaube zu verdecken, hüllten sich die Räuber komplett in muslimische Ganzkörperschleier. Erst als sie eine Waffe zogen, bemerkten viele der Postkunden, dass es sich bei den beiden Burka-Trägern nicht um muslimische Frauen handelte. >>> DiePresse.com | Sonntag, 07. Februar 2010

Armed Robbers Disguised in Burkhas Carry Out £4,000 Raid
MAIL ONLINE: Armed robbers disguised in burkhas have escaped with thousands in cash after carrying out a post office raid in Paris.

The crime – which took place yesterday in the suburb of Athis Mons – comes following calls for the controversial garments to be banned.
 
President Nicolas Sarkozy himself has described them as a ‘security risk’, saying they provide the perfect cover for criminals or terrorists.

Now those fighting for the ban claim the robbery – which is the first of its kind in France – shows how useful the burkha is as a disguise.

It took place at around 10.30am, when two robbers carrying pistols entered the main post office bank building in Athis Mons, which has a large immigrant Muslim community, mainly from North Africa.

Once inside they ordered a bank clerk to take out the equivalent of £4,000 in cash by pointing a pistol at him. After ten minutes they fled to a nearby car park and escaped. >>> Peter Allen | Sunday, February 07, 2010

Ils braquent la poste en burqa
lePARISIEN.fr: Deux hommes, dissimulés sous une burqa, ont braqué le bureau de poste d’Athis-Mons (Essonne) pour un butin de 4 500 € .

Si le braquage n’était pas très juteux, le costume était insolite. Hier matin, vers 10 h 30, deux personnes vêtues de burqa et de baskets se sont attaquées à un bureau de poste à Athis-Mons (Essonne). Les malfrats sont repartis avec un butin estimé à 4 500 €. « J’ai d’abord cru que c’étaient des femmes, raconte Sonia, un témoin de la scène.

Je les ai vus traverser la route. Ils étaient grands et baraqués. Et en les voyant courir sous leur burqa noire, avec leurs baskets, j’ai compris que c’étaient des hommes. » >>> Céline Carez et Florence Mereo | Dimanche 07 Février 2010