Australian Police in the state of New South Wales now have the right to ask Muslim women to remove their traditional Muslim veil, known as a burqa, for identification purposes.
The Australian government's decision came following a recent case where a Muslim woman, Carnita Matthews, was acquitted because she couldn't be identified in court after committing a traffic offense and arguing with the on-duty police in November 2010.
According to the Premier of New South Wales, Barry O'Farrell, police should be allowed to "see the face of anyone, regardless of what they are wearing — a helmet, a face veil, a burqa, or any other thing".
He was adamant that while all religious and cultural beliefs should be respected, identity checks are the requirement of the law, and police must have the power to enforce the law as required.
The new law will see anyone refusing to show their face a hefty fine of about $5,500 AUD, or up to a year in prison.
The new law is set to pass in other Australian states, too.
While Islamic leaders in the country are comfortable with the new law, civil liberty groups are concerned about the new powers given to the police.
What do you think of the suggested fine: appropriate or extortionate?
Image Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
"
Printer-friendly version