I think anybody who's sensible can agree that the face shouldn't be covered for a driver's license or passport photo. There can also be safety reasons for prohibiting a head scarf (just as there are prohibitions in some jobs against hair hanging down or jewelry, includingg wedding bands).

Other than that, I can't see a reason to prohibit head-coverings. At M.D. Anderson, the globally famed cancer research and treatment center, there are Muslim nurses whose heads are covered.

Let's work on affronts to public decency, nay, to aesthetics, and persuade people not to "sag" or wear flip-flops to court. I say let's ban butt cracks, whale-tails, camel toes, and nipples in public. And let's arrest anyone (but particularly those with cellulite or who weigh over 250 pounds) who wears shorts so short that with every step, they're plucking fabric out of their "privates"!

That right htere is a good foundation for a political campaign.

My slogan will be "Have you no SHAME?!"

It's not head coverings that are under discussion, but the niqab and burka.



Surely turning up dressed in such a way would be contempt of court?

I'd like to add bare bellies to that list, especially when the owner is fat.

It is very unpleasant to have acres of flesh shoved in one's face whilst travelling on public transport.

Most of all, I hate bare pregnant bellies.

We covered our bumps decently in my day.

Ah well...I can clearly remember my father asking me, voice dripping with sarcasm, why I was wearing a belt but not the skirt?

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

I'll run against Lumina. My platform will be banning shirts on women. All women between the ages of 18 and 40 weighing between 100 and 170 pounds MUST be topless in public. For security reasons, of course. I'm almost guaranteed 50% of the vote.

Wow you're being a right little fascist here aren't you Lil? Shall we just ban everything that you decree? Thank God most people still seem to understand that to live in a free society sometimes we have to endure things we don't particually like. Perhaps you'd like to provide us with a list of things you want banned? Or would a list of things you'll allow be shorter? You have already suggested that the government "allows" us to do things anyway.

Would you ban Ningas too? How do you ban bare bellies "especially" when fat?? one is banned 'more' than the other or something? You know rather than ban stuff like that you can just ridicule it then people will stop it naturally (although that doesn't seem to work with your debating style).

I take it Aesop's fable of the wolf and the dog was lost on you?

and whilst we're doing foreign quotes, here's another one that you'll disagree with....

malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium

Silly American me; I wasn't aware that the niqab and burka didn't cover some/all of the face and head.

I really don't see the issue here beyond practical legal requirements. I've always enjoyed being a girl and being able to choose between trousers and skirts. The women I know who "cover up," and not all of them, BTW, are Muslims, do so by choice. Why should anybody care about headscarves?

I think the point that Lilbit was making is that the headscarf doesn't cover the whole face like the niqab and burka practically do. She hasn't given us a decree on headscarfs yet. Banning the headscarf would open up much more arguments, nuns wear them for a start, my mum, gran and other old folk wear them. I don't think a so called Christian country could ban them seeing as practically every image of the Virgin Mary has her wearing one.

I wonder if I can wear a Balaclava (ski mask) in public on a cold winters day? I used to have one when I was a young child. People might think I'm IRA if I tried that now!

Head scarves aren't under discussion as you said. Nevertheless, if you really do want my opinion of them, I consider them hideous and wouldn't be seen dead wearing one around my head.

I often wear such a scarf around my neck, though.

You could certainly wear a balaclava if you so chose, but would be expected to remove it at times.

Yesterday I saw a woman wearing a burka for the first time. Very strange coincidence, that. She was trotting around after husband in Marks and Spencer.

It just so happened that I was waiting for my daughter so had the leisure to watch them for a while, which I probably wouldn't have bothered to do in the normal way, but this discussion had brought face coverings into my mind.

After a minute or so I realised she was shoplifting. That's not say, of course, that any woman wearing such a garment has the intention to shop lift, but it does make it very easy to do.

Why are you asking me? Lumina began the list...

If we are talking about this:


I can see where it could be an issue. No way to identify someone dressed so.

But what is the problem with this?

There isn't. Even the Queen wears one, although not quite in the same way.

My vote is the houndstooth jacket. Simply awful.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ciceropicas ... d1wOWk9tEM

Videos taken by a french guy of some streets of paris illegally being blocked weekly by Muslims so they can pray. They have their own security enforcers. Shows blocking sidewalks and streets. Insane.

As for the head coverings it's wrong the same way the burqa is wrong. It says that women are not equals to men. Head coverings also just plain annoy me the same way any "ethnic" dress annoys me. Dress like that in your backwards country where women get their genitals mutilated and Poo for allah, but you come here, you need to become one of us. We're a melting pot, not a salad and we don't want your 2nd century way of life. I'm not saying it should be prohibited (even he burqa) but it's very wrong and should be looked down upon by all.