Posted on 11/28/2007 12:06:43 PM PST by WmShirerAdmirer
GHENT - Belgium's third largest city Ghent has banned its employees from wearing Muslim headscarves and other religious or political symbols. The proposal by the Flemish liberal party was approved in the city council by 26 votes to 23.
All city personnel, such as librarians and child care workers, will not be allowed to wear such garments or symbols if they come into contact with the public. The council voted 26 to 23 late on Monday for the ban, with the Liberals, Christian Democrats and far-right Vlaams Belang in favour and the socialists and Greens against.
"It is really not clear who counts as an employee in contact with the public, but we will have to carry it out," said a spokesman.
The city has 4,700 employees and is aware of two women wearing headscarves who work on counters dealing with the public. It was possible they might be offered work elsewhere, the spokesman said.
The ban would not affect teachers and police officers. The ban in Ghent follows a similar ban earlier this year in Belgium's second city Antwerp. Antwerp has since decided that Muslim women in nurseries would be allowed to cover their heads with bandanas instead of headscarves.
Similar measures have been imposed in other European countries like France, where there are growing numbers of Muslim immigrants.
The measures are controversial. Supporters say they help Muslim immigrant women better integrate in their host countries, while opponents say they are discriminatory.
[Copyright Flanders news 2007]
Subject: Belgian news
It’s a good idea to ban those things. It’s a good way of encouraging muzzie women to tell their muzzie slave owners to go take a flying leap.
What is the basis of the “Socialist/Green” opposition to the ban?
Interesting that Euros are not afraid (now) to ban Islamic garb, but in the US we still pander to Islamic groups...while banning Christian items
Good for them...but, can’t help but wonder, will we be hearing of riots in Ghent as well?
Now we all know what the Good News from Ghent was.
Riots to begin in 3...2...1
I have to come down on the other side of this one. In general, I do not think the government should be in the business of regulating what people wear. This ruling would bar me from wearing the cross pendant I normally wear as well as a Muslim woman’s headscarf. I do not see the why the government should have the right to bar either one.
I think the government is within it’s rights to say a person who works with the public must not cover her face because that can cause communication difficulties. But a headscarf does not...not any more than a hat does.
Leftists oppose anything because they are useless wastes of skin. They don’t need a reason. Just rebel for the sake of rebelling.
The ban would not affect teachers and police officers.
Why are they getting to keep the scarf? Sounds like their UNIONS had enough political clout to wheel and deal. This ban is meaningless. It's just a political stunt.
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