I don't know ... not allowing people to leave the shackles of islam, without a death sentence put on them, seems to be more of the heart of radical islam. That and the thing about preaching that it is good works to kill the unbeliever (who refuses to submit)...
Its fair to commend this fellow for the brave stance he's taken -- but to me, talking about costumes only touch the surface of the problem.
I don’t disagree with your other points, but those issues are really the purview of minority radicals in Islam. Most Muslims are ordinary and middle of the road in their views. They go to work, eat, sleep without dreaming of jihad or overthrowing the West.
The niqab is the outward sign of radical Islam. It is literally the face of radicalism. It is anti-woman and thus anti-West. It is the lever used to force Sharia on the West through the abuse of our tolerance.
At a hospital near me there is a receptionist who wears the niqab. All the staff must wear a name badge with a photo. Her photo has her in a niqab. It is absurd.
Start by banning the niqab and you end radical Islam. Islamists hate women. Once they lose hold of their women it is all over.
The ideal thing is that it brings the Left into the picture by letting the Right lead on women’s rights. It’s win-win for us.
You avoid the 1st Amendment issue by simply citing it for security purposes she must expose her face. It’s that simple.