[Rebel_Ace]

I may be the odd man out here, but I think a law that says what style of clothing you can wear as you go about your private life is rather draconian.

I am not talking about professional activities, where for health and safety reasons there might be compelling arguments for clothing restrictions.

It appears this person was simply attending a theatrical performance. Of what concern is it to others in the theatre, unless she was wearing an enormous hat that blocked the view of patrons behind her?

[sargon]

I may be the odd man out here, but I think a law that says what style of clothing you can wear as you go about your private life is rather draconian.

I totally agree. It's overtly Tyrannical.

[Jack Hydrazine]

She (if it was a she) could blow herself up, start shooting the crowd with that gun she’s carrying, or do some other form of jihad without anyone being able to give a good description of her or the cameras getting a good pic of her.

Maybe everyone should start dressing up as ninjas in France as well as America?

[DannyTN]

"I may be the odd man out here, but I think a law that says what style of clothing you can wear as you go about your private life is rather draconian."

• You are the odd man out.
• She's not going about her "private life", she's in a public theater.
• She's covering her face as though she had something to hide, and using religion as a cover.
• That could have been a known terrorist sitting in the front row with a suicide bomb. And it was probably a dry run, with a real terrorist to follow.
• When the hijab is no longer associated with a terrorist religion or suicide bombers, then it would probably be fine. But that won't occur for at least a couple of centuries, if ever.

[CynicalBear]

So you would be comfortable on stage with a bunch of the audience with hooded clothes and full face covering?

[independentmind]

There are legitimate public safety reasons why someone should not sit in a theater with his/her face covered.

Look up the Chechen terrorist attack in Moscow at the Dubrovka Theater on 23 October 2002.

[marron]

My view is this:

I don’t want government telling people what they can and can’t wear in normal circumstances. But it is illegal in some places to wear a mask in public, for example. Many businesses would forbid entry to anyone wearing a mask.

In some places muslims are demanding the right to wear a veil for ID photos which is obviously a non-starter. So I’m not sympathetic with anyone trying to cover their face completely.

So, a law forbidding the burka, no, though I don’t like them. A law forbidding a complete veil in public, I’m more inclined to accept.

In this case though, it wasn’t government. The performers refused to perform for someone in a veil. In this country that would probably earn them a lawsuit. But my sympathies are with the performers.

[Brother Cracker]

I think a law that says what style of clothing you can wear as you go about your private life is rather draconian.