They banned it

We sat near a local coffee shop and started our usual conversation on controversial topics. Sipping his coffee he looked at me and began,

“Consider this. I have some random enquiry to do and go around knocking doors. I go to one particular house and I knock the door. The landlady invites me in and politely offers me to sit and gets something to drink. However she speaks to me sitting behind a curtain. I cannot see her when I speak to her. Now tell me how will I feel?”

To this pretty straight forward question I instantly replied “Offended of course. That’s rude man”.

He looked at me with a half-smile and said “Well that’s what I feel when I am around someone with a burqa.”

For a moment I almost spilled my coffee. Gathering my thoughts I said “Is it fair to compare a type of clothing with that?”

“Aah” he exclaimed, “Just think how different is that?”

“Maybe not much, but is that not a matter of religious freedom? I understand the secularist ideals of the French that prompted them to do that but to go to an extent of clothing …. Is that not too much?”

He shot back “Come on, when Saudi can force women to wear them why can’t the French force them to remove the same? Or should we allow nudists to roam on the streets nude because it is their freedom?” I smiled and he continued “well let me not digress here. Do you agree that any freedom has a limit and the extent to which it is implemented can be restricted?”

“Like….. Do you mean you have the right to shout as much as you want until your neighbor complains?”

“Well yes let go by that example. As French I have the right to say practice your religious freedom but not to the extent that it actually offends me. Wear it if you like in your home but not in public places”

“Don’t you think it is actually being too touchy? The women who wear them may now be restricted to even go out in that case. They may even be denied of basic needs like education. Just because you are offended don’t you think you are actually restricting them and even pushing them even further back?”

He gave his usual half smile “Let them fight for it and evolve. Why is it so difficult for them not to cover their faces just in public and that too only in France? I heard terrorists use the same. That could even be a security threat. If they want to live in France, why don’t they just live and let live”

My mouth was wide open when I heard final words “Live and let live”, it was used by the other side only. Support or oppose burqa ban but either side has very deep and valid points. I smiled and finished my coffee. Well yes I should say I allowed him to conclude with those words

Next day, I did see the final draft of the bill passed by the French govt. The words “burqa”, “Islam” or even “religion” was not found. Hurray…. Well done France J.

Wanted to thank Ravi Maams for encouraging me to finish this long unfinished post. Finally!!