Canada: Muslim Congress Calls For Burkha Ban

From Associated Press:

A Muslim group on Thursday called for a ban on the wearing of burkas in public in Canada, saying it "marginalizes women."

"The burka has absolutely no place in Canada," said Farzana Hassan of the Muslim Canadian Congress. "In Canada we recognize the equality of men and women. We want to recognize gender equality as an absolute. The burka marginalizes women."

Many Muslim women in this country are being forced to wear the loose robe and veil by their husbands and family, setting them apart from other Canadian women who are living freely, she claimed.

Hassan acknowledged the Koran preaches modesty, but "it doesn?t have to be that you have to cover your face or you have to wear a virtual tent wherever you go. This is not a requirement of Islam or the Koran."

Hassan blamed extremist Muslims for its rising popularity in Canada. "To counter this trend, we are asking for a ban on the burka," she said.

The call follows an edict by a top Muslim authority in Egypt calling for a ban on the burka. Several European countries, including France, Italy and Denmark, have also called for burka bans in recent years.