Banned in France By HJS

HJS Comments: One might consider it strange that even States here are taken in by the lie that “My religion requires me to wear the niqab!” The niqab is outlawed in some Muslims states and during the pilgrimage (the Hajj). The niqab is not mentioned in the Quran.

The hijab is mentioned, but not as a wearable garment; it is mentioned only as a screen. If a prudent woman were to review sura 33, ayat 59, except the Saudi version, the women are told to draw their cloaks around them whenever they go abroad, so they would be recognized and not annoyed.

Referring to the Arabic Language version in Muhammad Asad’s great work, Message of the Qur’an, Assad shows the Arabic term Jalabib as cloak (Jalabibihinna the plural). Others Arabic language versions showed the term to be khimar (singular-head covering or shawl to protect from the sun or blowing sand) as the garment to pull down around them. In each case, it was expected that the women should be recognized and not annoyed. Not one of the dozen different translations I reviewed required that women not be recognized. So, only the Jalabib and Khimar are mentioned. The burkha was probably a product of some male chauvinists worse nightmare. So much for the excuse: my religion makes me do it. Islamist Apparel Banned in France by Daniel Pipes April 12, 2011 Cross-posted from National Review Online: The Corner With a new law yesterday, the French salvaged an aspect of Western civilization. The law prohibits "concealment of the face in public, especially by wearing a full body covering" ("dissimulation du visage dans l'espace public, en particulier par la pratique du port du voile intégral"). In other words, it does not explicitly mention the Islamist gear known as niqab (which covers a woman's body except for the eyes) and burqa (covers the entire body). Clever. But "concealment of the face" takes place routinely. Large, dark sunglasses hide the eyes. Surgical face masks (worn to fend off contagious diseases) cover the nose and mouth. Fire-retardant hoods obscure the neck, ears, and hair. Worn together, sunglasses, mask, and hood, such as sported by actress Faye Dunaway last year at LAX, might be illegal under the new French law, even though it is not a problem. One can discern plenty about Ms Dunaway, including her gender, her approximate age, and what she is carrying. She looks odd but does not threaten fellow passengers. Niqabs and burqas, in contrast, are not veils but head-to-toe coverings that envelope the entire person. They routinely present security challenges by hiding males, guns, and bombs. They cause Vitamin D deficiency in women and breast-fed children. They obstruct communication, disrupt family life, dehumanize women, and undermine individualism. Legislation should focus on full-body coverings; these cultural atrocities must be banned everywhere. (April 12, 2011)