Comments:Western Australian court to set precedent on the burqa

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Hooray!

It's official, Islamaphobia has replaced anti-semitism as the populist hate dogma of the 21st century.

Congratulations humanity, You learn well!

That is what this is, I hope for the future that we can look past our cultural differences and actually see one another's faces.

When a government attempts to arbitrarily impose the social norms of the dominant culture against the will of a culturally distinct minority, it has gone too far. In a truly free country people should be allowed to choose what to wear in a courtroom and practice their religion without fear of persecution.

It is hardly persecuation to ask to see the face of someone when weighing up their honesty for the first (and probably only) time.

This is not a simple case, and there are very strong arguments to be placed by both sides.

I agree! it is an issue of national security, for all we know it could be another witness underneath a burqa!!

If a woman was in Saudi Arabia or some other islamic country, she'd be expected to cover up - western woman respect that when they travel to such places - why then are we so easy going when it comes to our own culture?

On a side note: Michelle Obama had to wear a modesty veil when visiting the POPE...

westerners respect other people's culture, why dont they respect ours?

I'm afraid your argument is fallacious, as the situations are not as parallel as you have characterised them to be: It is against the religion of conservative muslim women to expose their faces in public. Correct me if I'm wrong- but while it may be uncomfortable culture shock, it is not contrary to the religions of most "Westerners" - to use an imprecise blanket term that encompasses a variety of religions and cultures- to conceal their faces when visiting a country with conservative Islamic standards of modesty - a crucial difference. Therefore it is not simply a matter of respecting the culture of the host nation, but a matter of the individual being forced to engage in what she believes is sacrilegious behaviour.

when in Rome do as the Romans do!