Go on, convince me: We shouldn’t ban the burqa
If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.
John Stuart Mill
In this strand of mini lectures, we have asked one speaker to convince YOU the audience of an unpopular opinion.
The guest lecturer will have 12-15 minutes to make their case before the session chair and audience members are invited to push back, scrutinise, pull apart their arguments – or explain why they agree with them. The aim is for these quick-fire exchanges to allow attendees – and indeed the speaker – to robustly defend positions, develop critiques beyond caricature and ad hominem attacks, and steel-man their own arguments. This should allow us to dig deeper into contested issues beyond today’s soundbite-and-meme culture. And perhaps – just perhaps – some in the room might be convinced to change their minds.
However discomforting we find women covering their faces with burqas, we cannot uphold freedom as our highest virtue if we ban things we find offensive.
Once the fashion for banning takes hold, we surrender the moral high ground and betray the fundamental principles of the Enlightenment – a slippery slope that endangers all our the rights.
Should we really trust a government that wants to ban face coverings citing social cohesion, while it rolls out live facial recognition? And NB: France has banned the burqa. It does little to stop radical Islamists, but much to undermine its liberty.
No to burqas in classrooms, public institutions and places of work – but NO to an outright ban. If we want to revive civic pride, civil engagement and a strong commitment to integration, we should NOT turn our backs on our values and centuries of progress in religious and political tolerance. Let’s have the confidence to say: our way of life is worth defending. Anyone who chooses to be part of it, must commit to it.
