etee's Blog

It has been years (many, many years) since I lived with my family in the Netherlands, but one thing I still remember about the people was their tolerance. I suspect it stemmed from their experiences under German occupation during WWII, and to be honest the extreme to which they took this tolerant attitude was more than a little disconcerting. However, this had a definite impact on me as I was growing up.

So, imagine my surprise when I spotted the following news article:

Lawmaker: Jail women who wear burqa

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A right-wing Dutch lawmaker wants women jailed for wearing the head-to-toe Islamic robe known as a burqa, calling it a "symbol of oppression."

WT?!? Have these people completely lost their minds?!? Reading on provides a bit of context:

Geert Wilders, whose Freedom Party has nine lawmakers in the 150-seat lower house of Dutch parliament...

Oh... OK, then, we aren't exactly talking about a national consensus here. However, the rationale for this proposal seems more than a little suspect:

"The burqa and niqab are a symbol of oppression of women," Wilders told The Associated Press...burqas and the niqab...hindered integration of Muslim women into Dutch society and also posed a security risk.

OK, let's address these three points:

• Wearing burqas and the niqab pose a security risk. Last I checked, it gets awfully cold in Holland during the winter, and it wasn't uncommon for my mother to send me out bundled up in a heavy coat, scarf, ski mask, and hat. I don't see how a burqa / niqab could be any more of a security risk than that. Besides, some of the traditional costumes worn by Dutch women have more than enough room to conceal nefarious devices - would these be banned, as well? In fact, one could take this to the extreme, and declare that all clothing was a security risk. Everybody must go everwhere au naturel!
• The burqa and niqab hinder integration of Muslim women into Dutch society. While that may well be true, I don't see how this justifies a criminal penalty. It would appear to be a point of view more suited to their former occupiers.
• "The burqa and niqab are a symbol of oppression of women." This is the most asinine justification of the bunch. Let's get this straight: because these articles of clothing symbolize oppression, the response is to put the victims of oppression in prison?!?

An interesting point to note: last year, the then-ruling Dutch government proposed a measure to ban the burqa. Presented days before an election they were expected to win, the government ended up losing the election.

I guess this just goes to prove the value of tolerance in Dutch society. At least, when such idiocy surfaces in a free society, it can be examined under the light of reason.