Why is the Burka banned?

The banning of the burka in France is kind of unfortunate. You have to give a lot of things considerations though.

-          The government of France tries to keep public life very secular. Even though the country has a high practicing and active Roman Catholic population wearing/displaying a cross or Catholic insignia in public. So they have stringent laws even for their majority population.

-          Social pressure to fit in or be accepted is a subtle form of force. A teenager may drink alcohol willingly, but it is not always because they want to get drink, but they face peer pressure to do so. Similarly many women willingly wear a burka, but for many women it is merely to fit in or be accepted by their fellow Muslims. I've met both kinds, those who actually willingly wear it and those who do so not forced but grudgingly because it is expected. It ends up being a Catch-22 on who you look after and whose rights you infringe on.

-          I am personally opposed to the burka for security reasons. A headscarf is fine. However, a burka hides the face. It prevents one from seeing identifiable features in public. Criminals can use burka for the wrong reasons (a theme commonly seen in movies). Lest a person commit  a crime or be witness to a crime, the face should be visible for eyewitnesses to describe and security cams to capture.

-          Freedom of religion does have its limitations. Rastafarians smoke weed, but it is illegal in many countries. A democratic society does reserve the right to interpret how broad or how narrow it wants to be in religious freedom.

-          When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When Muslims migrate/migrated to France from their homeland they did so because the opportunities and values of France appealed to them. The nation's values are evolving. They can choose to evolve or if burka is important there are several other nations that allow the burka.

-          Can a person roam fully nude in public? If there is a legal limit on how little clothing, there reasonably can be a limit on how much as well. Maybe for those who find prancing around in burka to be a good time can found themselves a burka colony.

Of course being a democracy, you have a right to protest the validity, fairness and constitutionality of a law. Society will always continue to evolve as the attitudes, values and beliefs of population changes. Who knows a few hundred years down Saudi Arabia may ban burka and France may make it mandatory.

 If a person comes to Europe to have a better life here, then they must integrate. Integration dont mean you leave all your customs, but atleast you try to remove much of your inhibitions. The veil is an extreme form of inhibition. It acts as a barrier to communicate.

- If a non-French Burqa wearing Muslim women in lets say Middle East or South Asia is planning to go to France to study then she has a choice. If Burqa is that much important to you then do not go to that country.

Face-covering is a problem (security risks as well as communication problems) so that should be banned in public places. Rest should be left up to the individuals themselves.

@Sportsfreak – To address all your questions

1)      Yes, it does justify banning. Religion is personal and private. A secular state can reasonably expect its citizens to not make public display of religion. It would be a problem if it arbitrarily targets one religion. But if all religions face similar restrictions then it is fair game.

2)      It is very difficult to address "peer pressure". A person can't lodge a complaint that she is facing peer pressure to wear a burka. It is very difficult to control abuse on the first place itself. Most women who are beaten and raped by their husbands don't report it, you think many women will dare to report being forced to wear a burka?

3)      The hood does not cover the face completely. Facial features are visible. You cannot pretend to be someone else in a hood. There have been many jurisdictions that have tried to limit hoods. Many malls don't allow hoods fully pulled over. Schools, government offices often require hoods be pulled back for security reasons.

4)      There is a huge difference between a human rights violation and a democratic law. Those laws and actions protested treat women inferior to men. The punishment does not suit the crime. There is no arrangement for fair trial.

5)      I still believe there is a choice. Every human has a choice between allegiance to their country and allegiance to anything else they choose. The choice may not always be fair, but the choice is there. Not every country has laws that appeal to everyone. People immigrate because they find another country better than they were born in. People move for marriage, for jobs, for education, for freedom, for opportunities – if Burka is really that important to someone, then they should move for Burka.

6)      You are mistaken. Full public nudity is a crime in most nations. That is why only certain areas are allocated for people who want to live a nudist lifestyle.

Questioning is good. That is the beauty of democracy, you can question a law, overturn a law, reinstate a law, it is a system that works with the people and evolves with changing generations. However, separation of church and state and freedom of religion are not black and white. They are very interpretative. As Polki Zofi explained. The European view of secularism is very different from many. They really don't appreciate public displays of religion. Even the majority population is limited by rules about religion in public life. The intent is not to single anyone out or be unfair, but have equitable rule for everyone. It is a slippery slope when you start making exceptions for one group. India suffers because of special laws made to appease rights of minorities. Now every minority is demanding special considerations.