Burqas and Bicycles

A French Muslim woman has been fined for wearing a burka at the wheel of her car – weeks before the proposed introduction of a total ban on the full-body veil.

The 31-year-old was stopped by two policemen in Nantes in western France earlier this month as she drove wearing a burka, or niqab, covering all but her eyes. She was given a €22 (£19) fine for "driving in uncomfortable conditions", because her vision was allegedly reduced. .

I don’t agree with banning the burqa on the usual liberal grounds that people can wear what the hell they like, but I think the woman instead of being fined should have done community service as a cycle courier.  She would have ditched the full-bodied curtain soon enough.  I mean, can you imagine cycling dressed like this:-

Cycling was emancipating for women.  It was easier to keep a cycle than a horse and it meant a woman could travel alone quite cheaply, or join in with a gang of other cyclists.  It freed her. Victorian clothes were nearly as bad as burqas, which at least don’t constrict you in whalebone, so women cycling lead to rational dress.-

So I would encourage cycling among the women from conservative Muslim backgrounds.  They'll chuck those vision-stopping, spoke-grabbing garments and move into  lyrcra and safety gear.  And if their reason for wearing the burqa is to thwart male lust, nothing is as unalluring as a bicycle helmet and a day glo yellow jacket.

Comments

[Frank S]

I think the historical reason for burkas was to stop attractive wives being commandeered by community leaders and other powerful people. In other words, you protected your wife not from men in general, but from, for example, imams following in the footsteps of their prophet.

[Sarah AB]

I'm sure there are all sorts of things which are roughly comparable to the niqab in so far as they might cause 'uncomfortable driving conditions'- but one suspects the policeman wouldn't have thought to stop someone wearing/doing something else which might possibly be marginally distracting.

[Gaw]

I'm glad you don't think legislation is the answer: making it mandatory for muslim women to cycle everywhere would be wrong.

[Rosie]

Hey - I wouldn't select out muslim women, or even women. I'd make it mandatory for everyone to cycle.