Belgium's Muslims lash out at ban on Islamic veil

In what was deemed as a shocking move by Belgium law-makers, Muslims were denied the right to don their religious garments. The reason behind this controversial move was that it would make crimes less easier to commit by criminals who could choose to execute such acts whilst ‘disguised’ in the religious attire.
Muslims in Belgium hit out at a looming public ban on the full-face Islamic veil, saying claims it was being introduced for security reasons were simply an excuse to crack down.
"I think they're trying to wind us up," Souad Barlabi, a young woman wearing a simple veil, said outside the Grand Mosque in Brussels around the time of Friday prayers.
"We feel under attack," she said, a day after Belgian lawmakers had voted for a nationwide ban on clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified, including the full-face niqab and burqa.
There were two abstentions, but significantly, no one voted against it in the house -- a rare sign of unity amid a power-sharing dispute between Belgium's linguistic communities which seems certain to lead to early elections.
The law, which will not come into effect for at least a few weeks, will be imposed in streets, public gardens and sports grounds or buildings "meant for public use or to provide services" to the public.
People who ignore it could face a fine of 15-25 euros (20-34 dollars) and/or a jail sentence of up to seven days.
All governing parties and the opposition agreed on the move -- most for security reasons linked to the fact that people cannot be recognised while wearing the clothing.
Fears have been voiced about the possibilities of certain ‘symbols’ having to be affixed to the religious garments-much like how Hitler ‘branded’ the Jewish masses with the sign of the yellow star.
Bruno Tuybens, a Flemish Socialist, was one of the two deputies who abstained from Thursday's vote.
"This law disturbs me," he said. "I believe in freedom of expression and I don't think it should be restricted unless it's in very exceptional circumstances.
"There is no link at all between crime and wearing the burqa or niqab."
Human rights group Amnesty International urged the upper house of parliament to review the measures, as they raised concerns about whether Belgium was in breach of international rights laws.
"A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty's expert on discrimination in Europe.
"The Belgian move to ban full face veils, the first in Europe, sets a dangerous precedent," he warned.
Human Rights Watch has also criticised the ban, arguing that it is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
"At a time when Muslims in Europe feel more vulnerable than ever, the last thing needed is a ban like this," Judith Sunderland, a senior researcher with the group, said.
"Treating pious Muslim women like criminals won't help integrate them."

While it is one thing for a country to be concerned for it’s own welfare, it is completely another thing to be racially and religiously insensitive. In my opinion, it could have been possible for Belgium to have installed ‘fingerprint sensors’, devices designed to recognize one’s fingerprint, next to buildings, and have made it mandatory for Muslims to ‘identify’ themselves before entering any public areas. Although costly,it would seem to be a better, more sensitive approach to tackling this issue.
Upon reading the news article, I was accosted by a sense of disbelief. Up to now, I had never read of a country being this politically, racially and religiously callous. This move also seemed rather counter-intuitive to me-it aimed to expel dangers from within the country; yet it’s insensitivity in doing so resulted in summoning foreign threats surrounding the country.
I sincerely hope this issue can be resolved as quickly and as peacefully as possible. With all the chaos and crimes being committed in these times, it would be a tragedy if peace were forsaken in favor of war, over something that could have been resolved without any bloodshed.