Burqa debate: Muslims should be alert and alarmed

While we were not bothered when Fred Nile proposed his private member bill about banning burqa, but things have changed dramatically now.

Now the debate became bigger, louder and uglier. And all failed politicians had agreed to debate the “issue”.

But we should ask vital questions here: would wearing burqa qualify to be considered an “issue”. Not only this.

An ordinary NSW resident should ask whether the NSW politicians are living in the same state as we do. Or perhaps they are so ignorant that they do not feel that the state is living in very depressing time.

I, as NSW resident and not as Muslim, would ask our politicians (including Fred Nile) few questions:
1- Do you think wearing burqa is the reason why we have critical shortage of electricity and banning it would stop the repeated blackouts of many suburbs?
2- Do you believe that burqa was behind the rental crisis and would banning it make accommodation more affordable?
3- Do you think that banning burqa would eliminate social problems that devastate families in the state? Would banning burqa solve drug abuse, prostitution, homelessness, gambling addiction, …?
4- Would banning burqa create one job for the increasing numbers of residents who lost their job in the last few years or could not get one in the last few decades?
5- Would banning burqa makes public transport run more regular and safer, waiting list in emergency departments in public hospitals shorter and waiting list for public housing significantly shorter than the current 20 years?

And finally, would banning burqa makes Australia safer, more prosperous, less racist and more tolerant and have better international reputation to play greater role on international arena?

We, as human rights group, hesitated to put media release on this issue because we thought that common sense would prevail in our parliament. But we were wrong. And because of the growing feeling of insecurity, social isolation and distress among Muslims in the state, we needed to voice our great opposition and concerns.

We deeply believe that the politicians in the state parliament had failed miserably to find any solution to the great chaos they left us all in. And now they will be resorted to populist politics of fear, xenophobia and social division.

And for Rev Fred Nile, we would like him to spend more time advocating love and tolerance. Unless he did not read the Holy Bible yet.

Rev Nile need also to stop lying. There is no intelligence or security report that document that burqa is seriously threaten our safety and security. But there are thousands of documented reports about the threat of drug abuse, gambling, prostitution … etc constitute to our social and economic security.

He (and the other failed politicians) obviously chose to make this issue his/their main election platform. And we will counter match him.