Germany mulling burqa ban

Sun, 31 Jan 2010

As France has moved closer to a ban on burqas, German politicians are debating whether a similar measure should be taken in their own country.

After a French parliamentary commission ruled earlier this week that the enveloping garment worn by some Islamic women is unacceptable and recommended a ban in schools and public offices, a former Social Democratic parliamentarian, Turkish-German Lale Akgun, made a case for a similar ban in Germany, RIA Novosti reported on Saturday.

"The burqa is a full-body prison that deeply threatens human rights," she told the daily Frankfurter Rundschau. "It would be an important signal for Germany to ban the burqa."

A burqa ban in Germany would include schools, universities, and high-security zones such as banks and airports, she said.

However, fellow party member Dieter Wiefelsputz rejected the suggestion.

"We have a different understanding of freedom than the French," he told the paper, adding that an enlightened Islam could not be forced.

Green party leader Cem Ozdemir said the debate overlooked the real conflict of integration and pointed out that very few women wear burqas in Germany.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117473§ionid=351020604.