Belgian lawmakers pass burka ban

More if women want to wear it and do wear it, they will potentially be made to go indoors (into a cell - eitehr pay a fine or upto 7 days imprisonment).

Very liberating.

There are also suggestions that there are a huge number of women who wear the burka in Belgium. Thirty.

Belgium's lower house of parliament has voted for a law that would ban women from wearing the full Islamic face veil in public.

The law would ban any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places like parks and on the street. No-one voted against it.

The law now goes to the Senate, where it may face challenges over its wording, which may delay it.

If passed, the ban would be the first move of its kind in Europe.

Only around 30 women wear this kind of veil in Belgium, out of a Muslim population of around half a million.

The BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says MPs backed the legislation on the grounds of security, to allow police to identify people.

Other MPs said that the full face veil was a symbol of the oppression of women, our correspondent says.

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I really dont get it.. =/
i've watched somewhere (will put the link when i find it) that France (and i guess its the sa;e for Belgium) is using this excuse of the Burqa to distract themselves from other, more important, issues like unemployment etc...

security reasons? for thirty people?? i dont think this even deserve a comment

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Its a bit of procrastination and a bit of sleight of hand. Get people to focus on other stuff and they will less likely focus on other issues.

I doubt it actually works like that though.

and when you decide to create someone to target, it helps if the group is both visible and also small - if the group is not visible, then it is less likely not work. In the same way, if the group is large, then people mayhave first hand experience and this sympathy/empathy with the people. The trick is to target a small group but give it the impression that it is a large one and a huge threat.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.