Paul I have never disagreed that for some independent women the wearing of the burka is indeed a 'political' statement it's the pressure that that puts on more vulnerable Muslim women that concerns me as you know from our discussions on this subject

The authorities in France estimated that approximately 2,000 women out of Western Europe's largest population of Muslims, estimated at about 5 million wore either a burka of niqab
This is a very marginal albeit growing group and initially led me to ponder the expression 'de minimis non curat lex' when considering a legal ban

I don't believe it is possible however to ignore or dismiss the voices and experiences of groups like Ni Putes, Ni Soumises — Not Prostitutes, Not Submissive — an outspoken group fighting to improve the lot of Muslim women and girls in poor areas in France whose leader Sihem Habchi appeared as the first witness before the French parliamentary group studying Islamic clothing such as burqas and niqabs last year

Habchi was described as speaking passionately 'of her family roots in the former French colony of mostly Muslim Algeria, and how France needs to do more to protect women and root out feelings of segregation.'

"The survival of many young women depends on" new laws to protect them, she said, and full-body veils contribute to "the separation of populations."

So who are the women wearing the burka?

Danish researchers who interviewed women who wore these all covering garments found that most were young, or at least under forty, and half of them were white converts

Andrew Brown editor of Cif Belief reporting these findings concludes that 'this makes it entirely clear that in modern Europe the burka is not an atavistic hangover, but a very modern gesture of disaffection from and rejection of society'

MaGrath suggests Saudi tourists :) certainly it is a requirement that is enforced in that country

For an example of how women are regarded there is an interesting insight from an Australian couple who, as health workers, lived and worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from June 1993 to December 1998.

"One day in about 1994, my wife and I were walking down one of the main streets in Riyadh. It was about 45 degrees celsius, which for you US citizens, about 115 F or so? We saw a twin cab utility truck (with front seat, back seats and a tray out back) coming towards us and this was the configuration of the passengers...

Father and son were in the front seat in airconditioned comfort.
Two goats were sitting up in the backseat also enjoying airconditioned comfort.
Two adult females wearing head to toe abaya, gloves and veils were seated on the burning metal tray outside in the searing heat of the back of the Ute.

Our jaws dropped and we looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. That's the level of respect afforded women by some in the magic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Goats are apparently treated better in some circumstances.

I would like to point out that sometimes the line between religious laws and cultural tradition is blurred.
For example, my understanding about veiling is that it's a cultural dictum and not a religious issue. The Koran states that women AND men should dress modestly. The veil is a cultural issue superimposed over the religious conservatism of the strict Islamic state. There is a Muslim story about Mohammed's wives being hidden behind a veil, but in the context of the story, it meant a curtain inside their residence and not a face veil."