Read your views, including two link-articles referring to France where this all started. Both link-articles connect the burqa-ban measure as an immigration issue among others (forcing people to conform); if one over-looks the high-sounding rhetoric. In America, we now increasingly have anti-immigrant legislation. And so has Australia.
Interesting these countries have democratic governments guided by high-sounding humanistic values, civil liberties, religious freedom and human rights principles. All these were developed during the Period of Enlightenment by philosophers like Voltaire (1694-1778), Diderot (1713-1784), Rousseau (1712-1778), and others over the last 300 years. None of these current governments or legislation is driven by the Catholic Church or the Inquisition. Burqa-ban is a multi-sided issue of little relevance by itself, but is the "masked face" (pun intended) of underlying problems of (legal and illegal) immigration, rising unemployment, difficult economic conditions; and the inevitable resulting issues of crime and social unrest. The one issue the 'Dress Edict' is NOT: A measure to force Muslims to convert to Catholics/ Christians. Yet, some Goan writers (frequently quoting TB Cunha), attribute codified dress rules during the Inquisition period in Goa as efforts to force conversion (of Hindus) to Catholicism. Such explanations and rationalizations from Goan authors, at best can be described as goofy. Regards, GL ------------ Frederick Noronha wrote: Two very interesting articles on the Burqa politics in Europe: Why France's Burqa Ban is a Terrible Idea http://thefastertimes.com/immigration/2009/07/11/sarkozy-feigns-feminism-for-anti-immigrant-burqa-ban/ http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=burqa_politics_in_france Basically, I don't like the idea of one section enforcing their views on another, and using some high-sounding principle to justify it. In what way is this different from the Portuguese colonial diktats on how Goans needed to be dressed when entering Panjim and other urban areas? .............. Some aging men who decide to play politics in the name of setting down standards? Just doesn't make sense... FN ----------------- GL wrote: many goanetters - Hindus and Catholics favor European countries burqa-ban legislation. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/18/spain-burqa-ban-parliament_n_650394.html Many of these same Goans condemn similar anti-Hindu legislation introduced in Goa. I am bringing this up to help us understand why similar laws and regulations on dress-codes were introduced in Portuguese Goa in the 16th-18th century. I have no strong feelings either way on this issue; which is aimed to harass a minority group. I think such rules are more of an effort to curb and discourage migration than any security threat.
