Christine M. Flowers: Religious tradition can't trump public safety
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GROWING UP, I was fascinated by nuns.
In my early elementary years, many of the sisters that taught at St. Mary and Ancilla Domini academies wore the long habits of yesteryear, with hems that gathered dust and veils that seemed to swallow up everything but their angelic faces.
»Read story: Christine M. Flowers: Religious tradition can't trump public safety
»Read story: Christine M. Flowers: Religious tradition can't trump public safety
Comments (93)
You shouldn't be able to dísguíse yourself when you walk ínto a government buíldíng -- and especially a school with young children -- while wearing a níqab (or a skí mask). If the kidnapper had walked into the school without a disguise, this crime would have been more difficult to commit. Maybe the school employee feared being politically incorrect -- but the school employee shouldn't be burdened with the extra step of having to ask an adult to remove a garment for identification's sake. Freedom of religion shouldn't endanger anyone's safety, to begin with, but technically, it's NOT EVEN a religious issue since there's nothing in either the Koran or Haditha that militates face-concealing headgear for women. So custom or tradition is an even weaker argument for upholding this "right."
What if this criminal started shooting? Would he/she have been brought to justice if we couldn't identify him? A child's safety should preclude whatever attire an adult feels like sporting while entering an elementary school.— Non-Compassionate Liberal- The garment does not have to be removed for an ID any more than a long puffy coat has to be removed, all that is required is to have the person lift the face covering.
The problem is not the way the person was dressed it is that the school did not ask for any ID. Even the most conservative Moslem woman will show her face for ID if asked in such a situation, although having a female do the ID is the polite way to do it.— rayld - The burden shouldn't be on the employee. And no one should have to be polite to someone who doesn't voluntarily show their face. If my religion calls for me to inhale flammable gas and spit fire (like a carnival trick) whenever I traipse around the public, a school employee shouldn't have to tell me to "put that thing out."
- Non-Compassionate Liberal Let me repeat the FACT that the school employees did NOT request ANY ID. It would not have matter if the person was nude if no ID is requested the person is unknown. :rolleyes:
— rayld - Maybe the school employee was intimidated and/or didn't want to appear "insensitive," or politically incorrect.
" :rolleyes: "
Jeez, I can't see your eyes. Like the school employee.
I'll take your word for it. - Christine, excellent piece. I also remember those habits all too well. They were also not a matter of religious proscription but of custom. And they were kept past their medieval usage as a way to hide the female form of the nun.
The entire idea behind the veil in any religion is the assumption that men cannot control themselves if they see any part of a woman's body. Even now a woman who is raped in some parts of the world is accused of enticing her assailant.
However, NCL is correct. There is no excuse for wearing a veiled face or mask in any public building. The employee, especially an ordinary aide at a sign in desk should not HAVE to ask for the veil to be lifted.
BTW - those old nuns were not allowed to drive while their peripheral vision was impaired by the habit. We can make rules about garb for public safety.— Gendres - BTW - in your colleague's counterpoint argument about why not also ban baggy clothes and coats so they do not hide weapons....as a matter of fact...public school students are now in uniform and NOT allowed to wear baggy clothes or keep coats on in class for that very reason.
Safety does trump fashion at all times. Especially in a school.— Gendres - Of course the reality is the person wearing the "Burqa" was not a student and would not have been covered by any school dress codes :rolleyes: The problem is the school let someone take a 5yr old WITHOUT even asking for ID. — rayld
- No, rayid, the problem is that the kidnapper got into the building in the first place with a mask on her face. That is where the security really broke down. There should be cameras at every doorway and NO ONE allowed through the door wearing a mask.
The school should not have to go through all kinds of rituals to demand identification from visitors.
And I know all about dress codes and they are there for a reason. Bulky clothing is a perfect hiding place for weapons, drugs or any kind of illegal stuff. They can even hide the gender of the wearer.In this case the kidnapper used religious apparel to facilitate the kidnapping. That is where the problem started.— Gendres - No the problem is that this is not the first time school employees ahve let people into this school without checking ID. The clothing is not the problem that FACT no one checked ID's is the problem and has happened int he past with people in ordinary street clothing. — rayld
- Your article is right on point. Unfortunately cognitive thought and facts are often overruled by opinions; remember facts should not cloud the issue.— STEPHEN1988
- I am offended that you are offended by overgarments. (What is an overgarment anyway)?— SPENDSPEND
- Right on, Christine! You printeth what we all thinketh. Now, if someone out there would decimate, eradicate, annihilate, and completely exterminate the ACLU, maybe we can have our country back.— cynic al
- I think we defeated your country in WWII. It ain't coming back.
Sorry.— carl and sons - Christine... u lost me the moment you said, "IF." Once we start throwing out those type of hypotheses... then almost anyone can toss out an argument. The main part is... no one dressed up as a nun and committed any outrageous crimes while you were young. So its so easy for you to make statements like this... after the fact. Security and protocol is what failed this little girl on Monday, not freedom of religion.— DontBeAHypocrite
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