What's your attitude towards the ban on full face covering Islamic veils?

Pardon my skepticism Marquis... but I don't buy it. You are making your argument in the form of a traditional testimonial. The "testimonial" has been used by religious charlatans. , and sellers of quack medical cures for year.

"Oh " (the testimonial goes) " I used to be a sinner, I was lost in my ignorance and waywardness, but THEN, I embraced my hate... and everything got better".

How about some evidence (and I am talking data, not anecdotes) that there actually has been an increase in the polices ability to catch "terrorist gangs"?

I think you are selling quackery.

My thoughts are along the same lines as ebrown

Ebrown,

You are completely correct and I hope Marquis can come up with something more than the kind of spammy stuff already issued here.
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My own thoughts on this matter are simple ones:
Should people be allowed for any reason - religious or otherwise- to be amongst the rest of the populace while fully masked?

I say "no", and I think I would be joined in that opinion by most, if not all, bank tellers and bodega cashiers.

But, there is more to it that I am not sure I can fully express at the moment having not had any coffee as yet.
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There is something gained in human interaction by observing the face as someone speaks. The shape of the lips, the wide-open or nearly closed eyes, a touch of a finger to an ear--- these all convey meanings and apply context to what someone is saying and, I think, a greater possibility of understanding what the other is truly saying.

Not that it can't be done, if you think about it, we converse in masks here everyday on A2K, but at meetings of persons from A2k, the experience of SEEING someone say something is always that which contains a greater sense of intimacy, a closer expression of their humanness.

Not that being unmasked automatically helps improve relations, the other civilizations of the world cannot claim that theirs is appreciably better than any others because their people can see each other's facial expressions.

I said it created possibility of understanding, not a guarantee.
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Maybe we should all go out today in masks and carry with a big bag of masks. Anyone who is made uncomfortable by our mask would be offered a mask of their own.

Joe(If you try this, please take care when entering the bank.)Nation

Joe,

Is a mask scarier then a sidearm? (I wouldn't suggest entering a bank with either.)

The main issue is religious tolerance and combating prejudice. There are plenty of examples where minority religions and local governments work together to make their shared society work for everyone.

If people stop assuming that Muslims are dangerous simply because they are Muslims, it would make solving the details a whole lot easier.

I believe we could probably eliminate I-slam from the planet by providing every woman of marriageable age in the slammite world with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition.

Cost would likely be around 70B USD, peanuts compared to TARP bailouts and what not.

So far, I am in agreement with ebrown and Joe Nation.

i support the banning of all human beings from the earth, should make it a peaceful place

I think they are absurd.
If someone, male or female, came into my store wearing one of these garments, I would immediately close my shop, and demand that he/she leave.

I don't know why the local police permit it.
How do we know that the person covered is not carrying a wepon, etc., etc.

The idea of such clothing is without use or function, not to mention Stupid.

In the United States, you would probably be sued for banning people from your shop. The Civil Rights Act forbids the exclusion of people from a public business based on race or ethnicity. There would be a question on whether your discrimination was justified based on a business need (you might be able to make a case on security).

I would be supporting the plaintiffs.

I don't see any problem with banks and bodegas refusing to allow fully-masked people to enter the premises, whether they're masked due to religious reasons or simply because they've been out skiing.

I remember a sign on a convenience store in Colorado: "please remove ski mask and unload gun prior to entering."

With a fully-veiled person, how could you determine their race in order to discriminate against them?

Yeah... on second thought, I understand the security concerns of businesses. Banning fully masked people from businesses is probably reasonable.

((I still think that discrimination against Muslims is a real problem in the US right now that needs to be seriously addressed.))

Come DrewDad! Discriminating against people with Yarmulke's isn't technically "racism" either...

If your point is that there are types of bigotry that aren't technically "racism", then I agree with you.

Yes, that's my point. Perhaps others will feel I'm simply being pedantic, but I think it's an important distinction.

Possibly Henny Penny was correct when we were warned that the sky is falling? However, I have no problem with veiled women in burkas or other Islamic attire. Every day I see women, or girls (with head scarves) in some form of Islamic attire. They are happy to be here in this country, if I can read body language correctly (they are shopping for food, etc.). Their children will grow up healthy and fed well. The message to the rest of the world will be that Americans are "inclusive" and not "exclusive." Just part of American "exceptionalism," I believe.

What a great question. I know that the guy who held up our store in Tulsa had both, but I was genuinely more afraid of the weapon.

Would I be more or less intimidated by someone stepping out from the shadows of an alley wearing a mask or not wearing a mask? No visible weapon ....... ..
The guy who tried to rob us in Paris had no mask, he merely said, in English "Give me your money!"
I said, very loudly, "Get out of here! Beat it! What the ****'s the matter with you!?"
If he had had a mask on, I don't know what I would have done. I might have acted differently, such is the power of not being able to see who you are dealing with.
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But enough about me and masked men.
(Wouldn't Me and Masked Men make a great title for a book?)
(Hey. Not that kind of book.)
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Which makes it impossible to resolve because no religion is completely tolerant of all others, the best they can do is say 'be good to others but better to those who believe how we do." Religion is a human failing and will remain a drag on progress until such time as it peters out.

Until that time, I make it my duty to treat everyone openly. It's not easy to do that with a woman wearing a burka (burqa). The few I have met have had very few words to say to me.
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One thing more than I have to get on with my life.

Societies are made up of volunteers who balance the amount of rights, freedom and power they have with the amount of those rights, freedoms and powers they have to give up in order to be in a particular society.

If my girlfriend and I decide to move to Saudi Arabia, we will buy her some burquas.
(Maybe she will be happier, not having to deal with make-up and style co-ordination, maybe not.)
(I've never figured out why the Islamic men don't veil themselves as well. Ah, well.)
But if we decide to move back and bring with us the lovely couple who lived next door to us in Medina, we will make whatever efforts are needed to help them assimilate here in New York, just as we did over there.
Joe(First, we teach them to say "What the ****'s the matter with you?")Nation

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/100803/canada/canada_women_religion_veil_security