European push to ban burqas appalls Afghan women

A firm believer in women's rights, the only thing Afghan lawmaker Shinkai Karokhail finds as appalling as being forced to wear a burqa is a law banning it. Karokhail is one of many Afghan women who see a double standard in efforts by some European nations to outlaw face veils and burqas -- a move they say restricts a Muslim woman's choice in countries that otherwise make a fuss about personal rights. "Democratic countries should not become dictatorships and Muslim women should not be deprived from all kinds of opportunities. It should be their choice," said Karokhail. "Otherwise, what is the difference between forcing women to wear a burqa and forcing them not to? It is discrimination." France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, as well as Italy and Belgium are considering proposals to ban all-enveloping burqas and face veils called niqabs. Many in the West see them as a symbol of the subjugation of women. In France, government and opposition lawmakers call burqas an affront to the country's secular traditions, though an advisory board has said a banning them may be unlawful.