I like living in a tolerant society but we shouldn't have to bend over backwards to show our tolerance.
Case in point, this business in Hastings yesterday where a women was barred from entering court because of her Muslim headscarf.
The usual suspects are up in arms of course and the story is gaining legs internationally.
Of course omitted from the narrative is that Yasmeen Ali was born Kaylene Brooking and is of East Coast Maori descent. Also played down or completely omitted the story is that her removal came after her brother who was in court for sentencing was arrested for refusing to remove his headgear in court and this incident came after this disruption had occurred.
Call me cynical but I don't see why we should be bending over to take this.
After all it is illegal to wear "Islamic head scarves" in public buildings in Turkey and Tunisia both of which are Islamic Nations with an Islamic heritage so the justification for Courts in middle New Zealand to be disrupted on this basis does not seem to be particularly compelling.
Case in point, this business in Hastings yesterday where a women was barred from entering court because of her Muslim headscarf.
The usual suspects are up in arms of course and the story is gaining legs internationally.
Of course omitted from the narrative is that Yasmeen Ali was born Kaylene Brooking and is of East Coast Maori descent. Also played down or completely omitted the story is that her removal came after her brother who was in court for sentencing was arrested for refusing to remove his headgear in court and this incident came after this disruption had occurred.
Call me cynical but I don't see why we should be bending over to take this.
After all it is illegal to wear "Islamic head scarves" in public buildings in Turkey and Tunisia both of which are Islamic Nations with an Islamic heritage so the justification for Courts in middle New Zealand to be disrupted on this basis does not seem to be particularly compelling.
Yes, the key fact seems to be the brother was wearing a hat, and perhaps his posture or attitude conveyed a sense of disrespect for the court, and that is what the judge focused on.
ReplyDeleteHumph. Just the other day we had one of NZ's most hateful politicians complaining about receiving hate mail.
ReplyDeleteSo long as it can be made to fit the narrative, it's got legs - forget the facts.
Not to mention the story yesterday that "National was closing police stations" - when in fact it was Labour who was doing that and most of them were being replaced with new ones anyway.
ReplyDelete