it all depends on how you look at it
there's basically two sides on the argument
1) the people who are against it because it supposedly demeans women. I'm tilting towards this. In the Quran it says something along the line of women having to cover their breasts so as to not lead men into sin. thats it. NOWHERE in the quran does it mention wearing a halloween ghost costume. the use that kind of covers come from radical and extremist interpretations... also you have to keep in mind that the quran was writting in lol-ancient arabic, not everyone speaks that today. so to translate "cover dem tits" might have ended up "cover dem womens" or soemthing else. either way its 'wrong' imo for that reason alone.
of course, there's more to this end: that women should cover themselves to prevent them from luring men into sin? who's it the womens fault if dudes get a hardon? In saudi-arabia a women who raped was convicted of being unfaithful to her husband... because she'd sex'd with other men in part of being raped. It is that overall mentality, that its allways the women who are at fault, which also partially fuels the burqa dresscode. and i'm very much against that.
2) then we have the other side. those who dont mind or support burqas.
and sure, i'm all for religious freedom.
however, religious practice should never come before secular law and custom - and there in lies the conflict.
I live in denmark. we get a lot of muslim immigrants and whatnot. they really do tend to live in some VERY closed societies - and their women aren't always treated nice.
case in point: i have an aquintance who's worked with a young lady muslim. she was of middle-eastern heritage - and she'd lived a very sheltered and brutal life. She had only known one man intimately, her husband, it was not ok for her to go elsewhere - and since she'd never experienced anything else, she thought it was perfectly normal for her husband to bite and punch her during sex.
ok, its just one example - but it fits the bill quite well. if you keep someone cooped up and never let them experience anything else, they will accept and believe whatever you tell them. "I like my burqa, everyone tells me i should wear it, so i do"
