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West African country may follow Chad and Cameroon in banning full-body cloak, saying decision is question of national security
Sengal’s ban on burqas comes amid fears Boko Haram militants in Nigeria may be trying to extend their range.
Senegal is considering banning women from wearing the burqa, amid rising fears of Islamic extremism in the west African country.
The interior minister, Abdoulaye Daouda, said women would no longer be allowed to wear the Islamic dress, which leaves only the eyes exposed. Daouda said the decision was a question of national security and was designed to prevent terrorists from using the burqa as a disguise.
An estimated 92% of Senegal’s population is Muslim. Although the country has not suffered a terrorist attack recently, authorities are concerned that the Islamic militant group Boko Haram, based in north-eastern Nigeria, may be trying to extend its range. This month, police arrested five people suspected of having ties to Boko Haram as part of a nationwide crackdown.
Chad suicide bomber kills 15 people in market and injures 80
Senegal is not alone in west Africa in banning the burqa. This year Cameroon and Chad, also with large Muslim populations, issued similar orders citing similar reasons. “Senegal is just following the trend,” said Martin Ewi, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies.
www.theguardian.com...
“While hats or head coverings are generally prohibited from being worn in photographs used on Illinois drivers licenses and identification cards, customers may be photographed while wearing established religious head coverings,” reads a flier distributed to state employees at the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. “Photographs increase public safety.”
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, after having existed in secrecy for hundreds of years, came into the mainstream just a few years ago*. With millions, if not thousands, of devout worshipers, the Church of the FSM is widely considered a legitimate religion, even by its opponents – mostly fundamentalist Christians, who have accepted that our God has larger balls than theirs.
originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: Annee
It's political stupidity. What do these women think will happen if they take off their scarfs, or burqa for a couple of minutes? I'm sure a bolt of lightning isn't going to come down and strike them dead. There should be no debate for this what so ever. And the Judge who allowed the ridiculous pasta head women to take her picture with a colander on her head should be taken off the bench.
originally posted by: TruthxIsxInxThexMist
a reply to: Spider879
I think they should ban the Burqa everywhere and have a Law which says all women must wear Bikinis..
Except the really fat looking ones!
originally posted by: Paradeox
Freedom of religion means being allowed to follow the cultural and traditional customs of the religion. As long as nobody is forcing them to wear them and it is totally their choice, then it's nobody else's business. It is just as wrong to tell someone what they can't wear as it is to tell them what to wear.