主播大秀

Burqa Ban.

Bob has been in Holland for 3 years: 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen a burqa in Holland and I don鈥檛 see what the fuss is about鈥�

Gerard has been in Amsterdam for 20 years: 鈥淚鈥檝e seen a burqa once or twice. The proposal is a dangerous provocation.鈥�

Paul Schefferfrom the University of Amsterdam: 鈥淚鈥檓 against the ban but the Burqa is a symbol of oppression. They are marginalising themselves by wearing it.鈥�

Someone has just said: 鈥淩ita Verdonk, the minister of Integration, has been looking for a stick to bash the muslim community ever since the demise of Theo Van Gogh.鈥�

Fred Teeven: 鈥淲e support the idea because in public we think it necessary to see people鈥檚 faces. The government and our party think that if you want to integrate it is necessary to look people in the eye. We think there will be problems if you cannot communicate with each other.鈥�

Gerard: 鈥淭his argument about looking people in the eye is rather contrived. It is based on fear and mistrust.鈥�

Fred Teeven: 鈥淭he government took this idea from the liberal party. It鈥檚 not for election purposes.

Ros is just asking for a quick poll 鈥� would you feel safer if the ban comes in?

Fred Teeven: 鈥淭he point is: people live in Dutch society, we are liberal and open.鈥�

Lodewijk: 鈥淚t is undemocratic to prohibit a certain type of clothing. There鈥檚 a problem all over the world between muslims and non-muslims.鈥�

Bram: 鈥淧erhaps banning is not the best idea but wearing a burqa is a symbol of oppression and a sign of intolerance. I don鈥檛 think a ban is good because to start with it鈥檚 only 200 women but in essence we should see the burqa and the veil as a sign of self-marginalisation.鈥�

Matt: 鈥淚 support the ban. The burqa is oppressive and goes against the social norms of society.鈥�

Mark: 鈥淚鈥檓 against the ban. It鈥檚 an unworkable solution to a non-existent problem.鈥�

Matt: 鈥淵ou say non-existent but it鈥檚 never been researched. It鈥檚 good to make a moral stance.鈥�

Mark: 鈥淚鈥檝e lived here 19 years and never seen a burqa.鈥�

Matt: 鈥渋f you go to the West you see Burqas.鈥�

Michiel, 30-years-old: 鈥淭his ban is unnecessary. I hope that labour wins the elections on Wednesday. If that happens we鈥檒l have a muslim in parliament.鈥�

Samira Haddad: 鈥淚n earlier times there were reasons to wear it. But now it is not ok. The Koran does not want it.鈥�

Someone has just said : 鈥淭his is not a religious discussion. What鈥檚 in danger is our civil rights. What鈥檚 next . . ? First the burqa . . then muslims have to wear special clothes.鈥�

Anon: 鈥淲omen are excluding themselves from the public sphere.鈥�

Mumtaz in the UK : 鈥淚 believe people should be allowed to wear what they like. A ban in a bank would be sensible . . .I could understand that but a blanket ban -- absolutely not. My children are intimidated by spiky earrings, should we ban them.鈥�

Anon: 鈥淭his new law is actually isolating one small section of the community. Once you do that we鈥檙e on dangerous ground.鈥�

Muqtar in Kuwait: 鈥淏urqa women are not oppressed. You think that is a threat?鈥�

鈥淏urqas are not a sign of openness.鈥�

鈥淢ight this provoke some people to wear a Burqa who otherwise would not?鈥�

鈥淏anning it is another thing. I鈥檓 in favour of an open debate.鈥�

Edith from California: 鈥淔rom a political standpoint it鈥檚 ok to ban burqas. If people want to wear a burqa why don鈥檛 they go to countries where they can wear them? When you come to the Netherlands you must abide by the rules.鈥�

Louisa is an immigrant to the Netherlands, she鈥檚 from Trinidad and Tobago: 鈥淚 have to say I support this ban. I don鈥檛 support a ban on the veil. I鈥檝e come to love Dutch culture.鈥�

鈥淗olland is a liberal society. We should thrive on differences.鈥�

A great debate and the phones were red hot! Good night and sleep tight.