JUST PHILOSOPHISING - THE BURKA AND THE WEST: NO CONCESSION? PART 1.

It has recently been reported that the German Parliament has voted for a partial ban on Muslim women wearing the Burqa. 

Which is the hooded garment which they wear to cover up all their head, with only a narrow in front of their eyes. To enable them to see, but, most importantly, for the Muslims who wear it, not to be seen by others.

The wearing of a hood over ones head and face, can conjure up discomfort, suspicion and even fear amongst those who encounter it. 

To  a western on-looker, the person wearing the burqa can be perceived as being uncivil and impolite. 

The burqa becomes a statement of 'I do not want to interact with you. I want to observe you but I do not want you to be able to see me and observe me.' 

The burqaised Muslim can be perceived as having an unfair, if curious advantage over those not hiding their faces. 

It makes social interaction and discourse even more stilted than it could be without such obstacles as wearing a burqa.

For example, if you are in a bank or shop and people enter it with their whole heads covered up, you might, understandably, fear that they are intending to rob the bank or the shop. 

Thus you become suspicious about why your fellow citizen should be resorting to covering their heads. 

Why they do not want you to be able to recognise them. Society has moved some distance away from the days when, say, the Ku Klax Klan, in the United States, would send shivers down the spine of Black Americans. 

When they drove or ride into town, which their hooded white robes. 

More recently, it has become the norm for some members of each country's paramilitary forces to wear hoods, or balaclavas over their heads. 

This habit, of course, is not commendable, but the State is likely to cite it as being necessary.  In order to protect these guardians of the state from being recognised, which could prejudice their performance of their duty.

Similarly, Muslims who were the burqa are not doing so because they want to keep their identities secret, because they are intent on carrying out some nefarious or illegal acts. 

Although, Muslims who wish to carry out such acts, could resort to wearing the burqa in order to disguise themselves.



To be continued.