But trend worries some Europeans
By Robert Wielaard,
Associated Press | April 18, 2010
ANTWERP, Belgium — Chances of seeing a burqa in Belgium are only a little better than spotting a liquor shop in Saudi Arabia. Now Belgium soon may be the first European nation to outlaw the burqa and other Islamic garments that completely hide a woman’s body and face.
Neighboring France and the Netherlands may also outlaw attire that is viewed by many in Western European societies as demeaning to women. It also is considered a gateway to radical Islam, a fear that is stoking right-wing sentiment across the continent.
“There is all-party public support for this,’’ says Leen Dierick, a conservative member of the Belgian Parliament’s Interior Affairs committee that unanimously backed the proposed ban March 31. The initiative is expected become law in July and would apply to all public places, including streets.
Concerns that visible signs of Islam erode national identity are combining with complaints that immigrants are stealing jobs during the economic slump, deepening a sense of unease in many European countries, small and large alike, over the role of Muslims in society.
Threats against cartoonists and artists over depictions of the Prophet Mohammed have also raised fears that Islam is not compatible with Western values of freedom of speech.
Swiss voters have voted to ban the construction of minarets. In recent years, both mosque and minaret construction projects in many European countries, including Sweden, France, Italy, Austria, Greece, Germany, and Slovenia have generated protests, some of them violent.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France favors a ban on burqas and other garments that fully cover the face, saying veils compromise women’s dignity. A burqa covers the entire body except for the eyes.
Unlike the Belgians or the Dutch — who see a clear and straightforward public security issue — the French are struggling with the constitutionality of outlawing a religious dress code.
“The point is public security, the need to show one’s face in public,’’ Dierick said. “Not religious freedom.’’ Until now, it has been up to city governments in Belgium to crack down on burqa-style outfits, but enforcement has been patchy.
The proposed Belgian ban underscores how populist politicians in Europe are affecting policies toward immigrants and minorities, especially Muslims. Lawmaker Filip Dewinter says mainstream politicians back a ban on burqa-type attire for fear of losing more ground to his far-right Flemish Interest party — a fringe factor for 15 years but that today holds 17 of the 150 parliamentary seats.
Umar Mirza, a 22-year-old student and editor of the Dutch Muslim website “We’re Staying Here’’ says sentiment toward Muslims and immigrants began to harden in the Netherlands 10 years ago. “People my age have not known anything else,’’ he said, adding the prevailing view of Muslims “has gotten much harder and sharper and less targeted at solutions.’’
