Kendall

BANNING THE BURQA: 10 years ago I would have been horrified. Five years ago I would have been disappointed and seen it as punching down. Now I unequivocally support the banning of the niqab and burqa in public in the West and I would go further: I would ban the hijab on little girls. I do NOT accept the logic that covering is necessary because of men’s unbridled sexual urges toward adult women BUT as a tolerant liberal I will live alongside this when it comes to adult human females. I do not accept that girls under the age of consent should, in any way, have to take responsibility for the sexual aggression of men. Never. In this regard I do feel the rights of women and girls are universal insofar as I will not apply cultural relativism to this issue. Never. This is where, I am afraid, your cultural or religious values are trumped by the host country’s normative views towards women’s rights though you may argue you choose to cover, a child cannot choose and cannot consent and therefore I will always advocate for them unequivocally.