When you say "their conventions" you mean countries right? Not religion?
Yeah, laws, regulations, societal norms, acceptable behaviour and all that.
In which case do you believe we should be more like Saudi Arabia and Iran where a dress code is forced on people?
Certain countries already do ban the wearing of certain things - I hate to commit teh faux pas of bringing this subject up in an internet discussion, but I believe some Nazi symbology is one common example of things that countries (Germany, I expect) have been banned in public places?
I'm personally not so much bothered by the whole Ninja Muslim look (which mostly seems to come in just black, for some strange reason) and hidden face thing, as the idea that someone is forcing a woman to wear that as a symbol of his superiority. To me, it actually echoes of blue & white stripey pyjamas with yellow six-pointed stars on.
Other predominantly muslim countries don't particularly have strong personal conventions that are much different to most western countries. I.e. don't walk around naked/topless.
Exactly - I was cautioned against letting my tattoos show in Japan, lest people assume I had something to do with the Yakuza or was being disrespectful of my parents - When in Rome, and all that.... but this isn't Rome. Over here, the only reasons people hide their faces tend to involve criminal activity. We know the veiled women are likely not about to rob the place, with all the shopping bags and children in hand, but it's still that cultural mentality being triggered...
but banning veils in the west is not a good example to lead, because we are doing exactly the same thing they are - prescribing a certain dress code on women.
It's a hard one, sure, which is why I'd say ban it here because this is our country and we make the laws... but don't go waving it at others and expect them to follow. It'd be like going up to Saudi drunk and waving the pub opening regulations at them!
Their country, their choice - our country, our choice, no?
The Muslim world seems to disagree, when Syria banned the veil in places of education the response from Saudi Arabia and others was to condemn the action as being "too progressive".
Ah... but they do regard it as "progress", no?
