Banning the Burqa in Western Society
Denmark joins the ranks of France, Austria, and Belgium who have implemented similar laws that ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa and\or niqab. In Denmark, police can issue tickets that fine from $156 for first-time offenders and up to $1,568 by the fourth violation. France has similar fines.
The burqa, is a head to toe garment, while the niqab, a cloth covering the face. Both are alien to Western societies. Besides the obvious religious connection to these women's garments, there is a social impact when worn in non-Muslim countries where the clothing automatically creates suspicion and uneasiness, especially in Europe, and to a lesser degree, America. While it may be a women's right to wear these items for religious or protest reasons in these Western countries, it is to their detriment.
Western culture is open. People see each other's faces, not just their eyes. People see the diversity of dress. This is how the culture developed and what is expected. Wearing the burqa and\or niqab simply makes the woman an outcast. They stand out and suspicion is created. Almost instantly, police, the general public, casts doubt upon them thanks to years of terror attacks and the media portraying the Muslim world. It is bothersome to have a business meeting with a woman wearing a niqab for many. It is not enough to see only the eyes because the suspicion in the back of one's mind is, "what are they hiding"?
Terrorists have used women in burqa's to carry bombs or other devices, especially ISIS. That history has created the intolerance in many Western countries of the burqa and niqab. But even within the Muslim world, there is hypocrisy with many Muslim men secretly pursuing women without the burqa, or having wild secret parties where women are bare. These have been reported in the past, especially in Saudi Arabia. It seems many Muslim men have a public and private position about women wearing a burqa or niqab.
Wearing this garment in a Western society creates a statement that you are devout Muslim, but what are your political views? Not all Muslim countries use the niqab, take Iran, known for terrorism, allows women to wear jeans or pants and a head scarf when in public. This is liberal when compared to Saudi Arabia, yet both are Muslim and worship the Koran.
Muslim women in Europe or any western country may find that wearing a burqa or niqab more of a problem than it's worth.