Akshaya Sridharan, II, MA Media and Communication, School of Communication, Manipal
It is good to ban full-face veils. With time, they have become a barrier to communication. Globally, people are fighting for equality and empowerment, but the use of burqas remains. Norway is acclaimed for education; it is not advisable to continue the burqa system at a place like this. For the younger generation, continuing with burqas and niqabs is like suppressing their growth.
Srikari Kancherla, II, BA LLB (Hons.), National Law University, Delhi
This move comes at a time of growing Islamophobia across Europe. Rather than combating these stereotypes, the state is validating harboured biases through such measures. It is important that the state inculcates the values of tolerance and acceptance towards different cultures in its population instead of trying to homogenise the same.
Nivedha Ganesh, II, B.A. English, Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai
This ban is a violation of the basic human right to practise one’s religion. Isaksen has disguised his blatant Islamophobia by giving the shoddy excuse of non-existent communication problems. To normalise veils is imperative to prevent communication problems, as it will teach people to accept religious differences.
Trisha Roy, I, MA International Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru
In the last few years, different countries in Europe have been banning clothing representative of religious beliefs. The reasons for such bans range from security concerns to the latest — that face veils hinders effective communication. It is an attack on the religious beliefs of a community.
