There is no basis in law to ban the hijab

Submitted by Abu Nudnik (United States), Aug 3, 2007 at 00:48

There is no legal justification to ban the hijab. The United States is a nation of laws, not men, and there must be a just cause to pass and execute any law. To cover the face so that it is hidden allows criminal activity and flight, terrorism, election fraud, the inability to identify whether or not a driver is really licenced to drive, etc. A hijab does none of these things. Therefore Dr. Pipes is right: the burka and niqab may legally be banned: the hijab may not.

When I was a boy in Edmonton, I remember seeing immigrant women in shawls. Perhaps the women of that culture intimidated other women of that culture to wear them when they wanted to leave the old country behind but how is that a matter for the state?

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".