After months of news coverage - it has finally been made official; it is now illegal to wear a Burqa in public in France as well as any other 'Islamic face coverings'.
At the moment it is unclear what the consequences will be if people do not adhere to this new law, or how the Muslim society will adjust to the new prohibition. I myself am left wondering what the social implication of this change will mean, not only within France but across Europe and indeed its inevitable domino effect across the globe.
On the one hand I do not think it is a big deal, for want of a better phrase, as it is acceptable within the teachings of Islam for a woman to show her face and hands in public. However, the passing of this law still makes me very uncomfortable as I believe that it is infringing upon individual rights. I live by the philosophy of 'To each his own' - every person has the right to live their lives as they please and not be judged, and surely as Europeans we all have the right to freedom? Freedom of speech, of thought, of expression? Which leads me to ask is the Burqa a form of expression? Whereby a female Muslim expresses her right to having ownership of her body and beauty?
Some may argue that it is not expression but oppression - but one key note to take from this is how alienating this law is going to be for the Muslim community, the wording of the law which as mentioned above singles out 'Islamic face coverings' will most certainly lead to an isolation of the community.
David Cameron should be ready to have a good opinion on this as he instigates his 'Big Society'.
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