Switzerland bans face covering in public

Clothes aren’t exactly a choice for many humans. Do you think people born into human families can just stop wearing clothes if they don’t want to?

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The initiative was brought to vote by the Swiss People‘s Party which is definitely a right-wing and anti-immigration party. Not extremist though (if that’s what some people might have read into my response).

Of course, also some left wing supporters see the vote as a success to end oppression of women.

But considering by whom the vote was initiated and by the number of affected women, I stand by my opinion that politically, the vote is more of a right-wing success than a display of women‘s rights…

Again, I didn’t comment on the outcome or the regulation itself, just the political implications. And that the majority was a really thin one.

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When you’re right, you’re right
(no pun intended!)

I hate to go off-topic, but I guess you despise the Clarity Act. :cactus: :canada: :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Had to Google it. Looking at the key points on Wikipedia, I’m not clear on exactly what it is (I’m also not clear on irony, but this may be it), nor am I clear on what I might disagree with there. Basically, I think I’m too ignorant to have an opinion on this one!

In a nutshell, it’s a check/balance against the principle that a simple majority is always right.

(In this case it wasn’t a true majority anyway, as the voter turnout was so low.)

Always right is tricky with big social decisions. In terms of busting up Canada, which affects the entire country (those poor orphaned east coasters) I can understand wanting a different level of approval than fashion instructions that affect fewer people. It’s all slippery, I don’t want to get nailed down trying to compare apples and oranges; nor do I have much opinion on how the Swiss choose to govern themselves except to say democracy is better than not.


Funny thing about Quebec, though, is that they want Canada to recognize that they are different but don’t want to extend that same courtesy to others:

(and now we’re not off topic anymore!)

They already have a check/balance by requiring majority approval among the cantons, not just the population at large. It’s debatable how well it works. :idunno:

I’m with Churchill on that one. :upside_down_face:

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is there a clear difference between democracy and populism? Populism is a part of democracy?

There probably isn’t a clear definition of populism, but I might suggest it is an approach to democracy rather than an alternative. Dictators can be populist too, though, can’t they?

Any legislation that removes choice of an individual in the realm of religion, lifestyles, etc. is oppression. And this one in particular has echoes of an almost colonial approach to feminism that completely dismisses the choice/agency of the people involved - “they” can’t make decisions for themselves, and “we” as the more developed nation will make it for them.

But it’s their country and culture others going there should respect.

I’m not big on the idea but it’s what the people voted for.

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What if my lifestyle is all about drinking and fast cars?

The Swiss aren’t the only country to ban the face-covering burka, also Tajikistan, Kosova, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Uzbekistan
(some of these are partial or location specific bans, such as schools and universities).

For me, the problem with face covering bans is shown by France. How many Muslim women have been arrested for face covering in France…compared to protesters, arrested solely on this law.

edit: Tunisia bans it in gov. buildings

that is what I thought. Populism can be a rail to a dictatorship.

why is the realm of religion that special?

I’m against women wearing the burka, sure. But I’m even more against this kind of logic to decide and enforce it.

This idea that immigrants are second class citizens. No nation allows immigrants on their soil for pure altruistic reasons, not at all, it’s economic reasons and low birth rates.

If your nation needs them, then expect a little change…or a lot. That or expect to lower your standards of living as your economy shrinks.

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Again, I want to mention there’s nothing in the Quran that requires something like a niqab or burqa. This is entirely made up later by some Islamic cultures. Nothing in the Quran says not wearing it prevents you from practicing the religion of Islam.

I’m pointing out how it doesn’t make sense that it’s like colonialism another poster compared it to. It’s their country, they’re not going to other peoples countries to tell them what they can and can not do.

Maybe sometimes, in a fragile democracy. I was thinking more like Castro, who was not democratically elected (was he?). Anyways, I’d have to read up on populism to have good answers for you…

Yes. Colonialism is when you go to another country and tell them what to do, so in this case it is going the wrong way…

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