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Political Philosophy

Should a Liberal State Ban the Burqa?

Brandon Robshaw wonders what the attitude of liberal states should be towards face coverings for women.

Some years ago I was teaching a Philosophy A-level class at a Sixth Form college [16-18-year-olds, for all the non-Brits, Ed], when a student entered in a long black robe with her face hidden behind a niqab, leaving only a narrow aperture for her eyes to peep through. I was taken aback. This student, it seemed to me, simply wasn’t playing by the rules. If any other student had appeared with their face covered – say by a scarf or balaclava – I would have asked them to remove it.

And yet… the niqab is a religious garment, and one feels a certain sensitivity about interfering with religious obligations.

…