UKIP Show Their True, Racist Colours
At least the horrible Nigel Farage knew how to keep a lid on UKIP’s racist element. His successor as leader Lord Pearson however seems to have no such qualms:
The UK Independence Party is to call for a ban on the burka and the niqab — the Islamic cloak that covers women from head to toe and the mask that conceals most of the face — claiming they affront British values. The policy, which a number of European countries are also debating, is an attempt by UKIP to broaden its appeal and address the concerns of disaffected white working-class voters.
UKIP would be the first national party to call for a total ban on burkas, though the far-Right BNP believes they should be banned from schools.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch, the leader of UKIP, said yesterday: “We are taking expert advice on how we could do it. It makes sense to ban the burka — or anything which conceals a woman’s face — in public buildings. But we want to make it possible to ban them in private buildings. It isn’t right that you can’t see someone’s face in an airport.”
He explained that UKIP wanted to bring to the fore the issue of the increasing influence of Sharia in Britain: “We are not Muslim bashing, but this is incompatible with Britain’s values of freedom and democracy.”
He’ll start claiming to have Muslim friends next. I don’t like the burka or niqab either. They irritate my sense of equality, I feel they’re an exercise is misogyny, and their basis in Islam is open to interpretation. But I’m well aware that Britain’s real values of freedom and democracy are based around people being allowed to live their lives as they choose. If a Muslim woman feels the cultural need to cover her entire body in a public space she should be as allowed to, as say any other woman would be to wear the most immodest clothing. Not Muslim bashing? Of course the rotten little racist is. The country’s no more at risk from Sharia law than from imminent Nazi German invasion.
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Im sorry, but i would just like to know what ‘British Values’ are according to UKIP! We live in a multicultural society. This is one step closer to inciting race riots.
Whilst i am not against them and i do believe it is part of a religion; i believe it would be appropriate to ban the full covering in some areas. Such as in primary schools where it helps the child development for them to be able to see the teachers face. But a total ban?
But coming out with this on behalf of the ‘disaffected white working class’, UKIP has aligned itself with the BNP and the National Front and then gone one step further.
I am white, i grew up in a working class area and brought up christian, but i will admit i am far more offended by large women wearing skirts the size of belts than i am of women wearing burkas. And while i do think that wearing them is in effect a form of restriction, i would never agree on an outright ban.
I wounder if we could instead take a leaf from France. Having a compltely secular system where in the likes of schools, no items that denote religious beliefs are allowed. This way everyone is treated equally and is free from persecution.
I think ive rambled but hopefully gotten my point across
As far as I know religious discrimination law would already allow for schools which don’t want total head coverings for the reason you mentioned to ban them. Indirect discrimination is lawful if it’s for ‘operational reasons’ I think, and I’d be surprised if anyone thought that was unfair. As you say a total ban makes no sense – that some of us (and that includes most British Muslims) may dislike the niqab isn’t a good enough reason to ban its use. Islamophobic bigotry by stealth really isn’t any prettier than its overt counterpart.
As far as your point about France is concerned, I think it’s a great idea. In practice the French system is as overwhelmingly Christian as ours – if there were any way to create a genuinely secular system I’d be the first to champion it.
If we’re striving to live in a Britain where values like freedom democracy are paramount, then this must also extend to burka and niqab wearing Muslims. However I’d suggest that by the very nature of their dress, they reject the very notion of a Western secular society and democratic living.
Furthermore, can we really be comfortable supporting something that denigrates women just because speaking out against it seems to make us racist by default?
Well I think a lot of people reject Western secular society and democratic living – Lillian Ladele et al? I think we be equally concerned about all of them, but also look at the push & pull factors which lead to all of their over-religious zeal.
And I don’t support the burqa or niqab at all, believe me. I just don’t think we have the right to legislate against wearing them. And I don’t think speaking out against it makes us racist in any way. Most Muslim women don’t subscribe to it anyway. Fire away if you want to.
By the way, I forgot to say, your new site is excellent. I was busy with work right through December then went away for a few weeks holiday so I’ve only just had a chance to take a proper look.
Your writing has always been compulsive reading for me and you’ve been a big influence on a lot of my thinking over the last few years. Indeed, through your editorials you’ve shaped my way of thinking with various issues I’d previously struggled with, and the new site has now taken the presentation to a new level as well.
Thanks and keep up the good work.