Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin calls for burka to be banned

46 comments

1. Start with the basics. Many countries have done this.

2. How the ban actually works is banning the covering of your face in public, whether it’s a burka, a scarf or a novelty mask. It’s the sort of thing I’m surprised the government don’t actually pursue as it makes stuff like cracking down on protests easier through the back door.

3. If it opens up a debate over banning all face coverings in public, then I think most will be for it.

4. Is this Reform’s approach to reducing the cost of living and growing the economy?

5. I’m kind of ambivalent to this, and my politics are generally centrist to the left.

   But it’s more about face coverings generally for me, ski masks, face masks that the local Northface Ninjas wear, as well.

   But the flip side is that people should be able to wear whatever they like in a free country, which is Reforms platform after all – “make Britain great again” and all that shit.

6. Shit like this is why I’m not worried about Reform

7. Imagine everything going on in this country and you’re.first major issue is people wearing burkas.

8. Just the usual reform pantomime politics so they can edit a soundbite to enrage their neanderthal base.

   And on a side note why do all reform representatives look like a nether world entity that has been bound into a week old human corpse?

9. Reform is just full of populist sound bites. No substance.

   Burka makes me feel uncomfortable but really has no bearing on anything.

10. I don’t like burkas, just like I don’t like religion. But end of the day, it’s religious expression and freedom. If that freedom isn’t oppressing me, a none religious person then it’s a case of toleration.

    Its for the Muslim community to progress itself away from full face coverings, not for us to mandate it.

    Some say it opens debate to banning all face coverings.

    In an age if total state surveillance and total surveillance by social media I’m surprised so many are willingly wanting to let go of another freedom to have anonymity. If you want to protest and don’t want your face logged by recognition by the police, what you ment to do?

    This is like China. Hence the Hong Kong people when they protested has to resort to advanced face paint to disguise themselves as they couldn’t cover faces.

11. All this does is remove some Muslim women from public life. I like to think brits aren’t this stupid, but the evidence is piling up with this racist little island.

12. One of the 7/11 MALE bombers got away by hiding under a burka and yet you idiots don’t see a problem with it.

13. Trying to dress this up as anything other than religious intolerance, discrimination and racism as some in the comments are doing is disgusting. Fuck Reform and anyone who votes for them.

14. Banned by Denmark and France.

    Tajikistan, a 90% Muslim country, also banned not just the burqa but also the hijab.

    If nothing else, it is a symbol of the oppression of women – and as such should be banned. Successive governments have shown they are big fans of banning things which they believe are harmful so I struggle to se why this practice has not been taken to task yet.

15. Not a fan of reform, but on this I agree with them. It’s an oppressive item from a barbaric religion that has no place in a modern, liberal democracy. The fact we’ve even allowed it to begin with is shocking.

16. I don’t think the government should be passing laws on what people are allowed to wear.

17. The Far Right just distract people with pointless things to cover up their own failings. Just look at Trump, the ICE raids and brutality of them escalated as their economic forecast worsened

    This headline grabbing call is simply a cover for them to hide the fact that weeks on since they occupied a mayoral seat they have unsuccessfully found any DEI hires or implemented their “British DOGE”

18. Classic “look over there” tactics.

    Remember that someone else’s clothes do not impact your wallet or quality of life.

19. It’s strange how many people are in favour of banning face coverings in here. Yeah it’s silly seeing teenagers walking around dressed like roadmen but at the end of the day it’s still an important point in freedom of expression.

    I think far too many of us are happy to promote surveillance culture and erode our own personal liberties when we don’t know how those powers could be abused down the line. Just look the at the US right now and how its tracking down of protestors/migrants to be deported. We need to protect our rights and freedoms in anyway possible and culture war issues like this will ultimately only serve to diminish those.

20. If it gets rid of the balaclava freaks, then I’m all for it.

21. All the people in this comment section loving the idea of a government telling us what we are and aren’t allowed to wear, you love to see it.

22. What a muslim woman wears is none of your business. It’s completely up to her husband.

23. I disagree with the burka. It’s designated to make women feel isolated and like property.

    BUT I also dislike telling people what they can and can’t wear. In this instance I would say the ban outweighs the downsides and I would ban it.

24. With all the other shit going on is this really the priority? ….what the hell am I saying, for middle england voters of course this is.

25. It’s an interesting question. My own instincts are fairly liberal. However, standard liberal approaches on issues like multiculturalism have clearly been shown to not work and, all indicators seem to be that to maintain freedom a certain degree of authoritarianism on issues like this might become necessary

    What was really revealing about her PMQ question was the PM’s response. He was completely unable to articulate any reasons for defending its existence in Britain (see Boris Johnson for a defence of it). It shows how little Starmer really believes

26. How about we ban all the idiots running/riding round with ski masks on in the middle of summer.

27. So I assume she’s considered that the UK equality act will need to be scrapped in order to enforce this? Which will negatively impact on pretty much everyone. Honestly, where do they find these people?

28. There is a difference between Niqab and Burka

    Burka is a an outfit where the body is covered bit being able to see the shape of the body. Also head is covered excluding the face.

    Niqab is the above but also covering the face excluding eyes.

    Now Niqab I can understand as you need to see peopes faces to communicate and also could be a security issue. But Burka why ban that?

29. I’d be a fan of banning all face coverings in public. Its crazy how many “roadmen” are out there hiding their faces.

30. In public office, like the French law, I don’t see the problem. We are an increasingly atheist country like all of Western Europe.

    Outside of that, a ban would be an infringement on freedom of expression.

31. I think every year we should get to ban one specific item of clothing.

32. Pointless bullshit. As expected. Imagine the war this would start on the streets. I’m sure she factored that in. Push people too hard and they fight. Really utterly pointless and destructive idea.

33. It’s funny watching a party all about being anti EU and pro freedom of speech and expression, be so keen on adopting laws from European countries, and spending tonnes of time arguing about what people are wearing, saying, and what flags they’re flying.

34. If we’re going to start banning things then let’s start with gob shite millionaire ‘man of the people’ ex city boys grifting the right wing of the country.

35. Personally I do believe it should be banned. I have no issue with hijabs at all but a burka covers absolutely everything to a point that identification is impossible, as is being able to read someone’s face to clarify intent, context or mood. Masking your identity completely is, has and always will be a trigger point for distrust and suspicion, even if only on a minor surface level. This is without going into the notion that it exists anyway as a misogynistic relic to hide a man’s property from other men. We can’t pick and choose when we want to be progressive

36. They definitely shouldnt ban the burka. You should be free to wear what you want

37. “Let’s get the idiots riled up over Burkas so they don’t notice our policies have more holes than a thing you dry salad in.”

38. I agree that they should be banned. They are a symbol of oppression against women, and it doesn’t sit right me with that we are so accepting of that after all the progress that has been made over the past century in regard to womens rights.

    There are plenty of muslim countries where it’s mandatory/normal for women to cover themselves in public, so if anybody doesn’t like it then just, you know…go somewhere else?

39. keeping ‘Reform’ in the news day 145. must be costing a fortune.

40. The burqa is not a headscarf. It’s not possible to wear it and have normal, meaningful interactions with others or to participate sports etc. It also dehumanises the wearer who becomes completely anonymous to others.

    As seen in eg Afghanistan the burqa is not something women generally choose to wear (see reasons above) unless there’s a fear of repercussions for not doing so.

    I suggest the male politicians objecting to the banning of a misogynist practice start wearing one themselves!

41. Jesus these comments are depressing. Free country until it’s not. Hope you don’t feel like protesting any time soon.

    Also cute and naive to think police will actually enforce a face covering ban for the roadmen kids, and not just go after random black people sensibly wearing a medical mask (COVID isn’t gone, by the way. I wish people had picked up the culture of wearing face masks but alas I just get coughed and sneezed over all the time on public transport)

42. Ofcourse people in the comments here are so worried about a person being oppressed because they want to wear something, that they want to tell them what they can and can’t wear 😂

43. I thought right wingers were all about freedoms for individuals? Perhaps freedom of expression and freedom of religion arent included. The state shouldn’t tell people what they can and can’t wear. Simple as that really.

44. I thought right wingers were all about freedoms for individuals? Perhaps freedom of expression and freedom of religion arent included. The state shouldn’t tell people what they can and can’t wear. Simple as that really.

45. I don’t like burkas. Or dungarees. Or muscle vests.

    So I don’t wear them.

    That freedom to choose was hard won.

    I’m not in favour of giving it away.

    .

    I don’t like Islam. Or Christianity. Or Judaism.

    So I don’t follow those religions.

    That freedom to choose was also hard won.

    I‘m not in favour of giving it away.

    .

    Reform UK are essentially extremist culture warriors who want to see a sterile monoculture of an imagined Judaeo-Christian past that never existed in any meaningful way.

    For all their talk of “British Values” they seem to have forgotten two of the most important values, freedom and tolerance.

46. I’m with her on this.

    Probably not with her on a lot of other stuff.

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