Yasmine Mohammed ياسمين محمد  🦋

Seventeen retweets and 37 likes for a statement criticizing me - saying I should say precisely what I said. The only bit that seems insane is *banning* people from wearing clothes and following their religions.

I suspect that tweet above was to support your point, not counter it. At least that’s how I read it.

I don’t think it is, but just in case anyone is confused, I’ll restate my point - I don’t think it’s okay to ban anyone’s religious expression (unless it hurts someone else), and generally people should be free to worship how they wish or not at all.

I agree w you. I think your ‘unless it hurts someone else’ caveat is key when it comes to niqab. I wore it myself and I can tell you, it hurts the wearer first and foremost. Other than that, it’s as much a societal safety concern as a balaclava or anything else hiding identity.

I believe in one law for all. I don’t think there should be religious exclusions. If no one can walk into a bank or a school or an airport etc with their face covered...then no one can. No exceptions.

I understand the rationale - I would argue that placing a barrier between someone’s actually held belief and their ability to function in the world could be highly counter-productive.

There’s so much more than can be explained in a tweet. Did you watch the clip above? I try to explain it. Under fundamentalist Islam a women should not be seen, heard, or smelled by any man other than her husband. Banning it actually frees women from the obligation to wear it.

I do understand. And there are - frankly - a lot of things that religions ask of their adherents I think are deeply bad for them, and are counter-productive and dangerous and limiting. And I wish they didn’t believe in them or want to engage in them.