(Karamay) In the troubled Xinjiang region of China, which is seeing something of an angry Muslim issue, the authorities in the town Karamay have decided to ban overtly pious appearing Muslims from using the public transport system.
To that end they have banned people wearing hijabs, niqabs, burkas, clothing with the Islamic star and crescent symbol and men with large beards. I don't know about you, but I actually feel this is a stupid move. How the hell do you know somebody is up to no good simply by the way they look. If anything, it will be the biggest recruiting sergeant for the Islamists who have been going round upsetting community relations. Don't get me wrong, I am not a radical Islamist apologist, but banning people from parts of our society because they are different is a step too far, I think. By all means, ban people wearing nigabs and burkas on security grounds. But the rest? It's asking for trouble.
I wonder if rent-a-crowd will protest in their thousands this weekend? Whom I'm I kidding, you won't hear a peep out of them.
To that end they have banned people wearing hijabs, niqabs, burkas, clothing with the Islamic star and crescent symbol and men with large beards. I don't know about you, but I actually feel this is a stupid move. How the hell do you know somebody is up to no good simply by the way they look. If anything, it will be the biggest recruiting sergeant for the Islamists who have been going round upsetting community relations. Don't get me wrong, I am not a radical Islamist apologist, but banning people from parts of our society because they are different is a step too far, I think. By all means, ban people wearing nigabs and burkas on security grounds. But the rest? It's asking for trouble.
I wonder if rent-a-crowd will protest in their thousands this weekend? Whom I'm I kidding, you won't hear a peep out of them.
