Italy Advances Bill for Vote Which Would Ban Burqa

It's a thin line between religious freedoms and public interests such as women's rights. As of August 2nd, 2011, the Italian Parliamentary committee has approved a bill banning public wearing of both the burqa and the niqab (a veil covering the lower portion of a woman's face). Should the bill become law after a vote by the full House this coming September, violators will be subject to a fine between 150 and 300 Euro, or some form of community service.

The bill also includes language aimed at those who force someone to wear a burqa through either physical violence or psychological pressure. Those offenders would face a much stiffer penalty of one year in prison and a 30,000 Euro fine.

While opponents of the proposed bill cite their personal religious freedoms, those in favor of the proposal point out not only the concern for public safety, but also the subjugation of the women required to wear them. Loosely described, the principle behind a Muslim woman's requirement to wear a burqa is that some Muslims believe the female form is too erotic for men to gaze upon, and therefore must be covered in sight of any man other than "their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty." (The Quran 24:31 ).

Other nations are considering, or have already passed a burqa ban. Last April, France took the global center stage for enacting their own ban on face veils and head coverings. Belgium was the second European nation to ban the burqa as a violation of women's rights. Australia also finds itself in the middle of a heated debate over fines of $5,500 for covering a face in public.

The debate is not just Muslim verses non-Muslim. The proposed law not only divides those of different faiths, but also those of similar faiths. Those for and against the new legislation are found within both the Muslim and Christian communities. Even here in the United States, we Americans - who pride ourselves on freedom of religion - find the phrase "Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion," quite vague.

Let's hear your thoughts on the discussion. Do you feel an individual should be allowed to practice their religion in whatever way they see fit? Or, might you consider the burqa to be nothing more than oppression of women in general? Let your thoughts be known, but let's try to be respectful of each other.