French police fine Muslim driver for wearing veil

[Abdul Wahid]

A French Muslim woman has been fined for wearing a full-face veil while driving a car.

Police in the western city of Nantes said the veil - which showed only her eyes - restricted her vision and could have caused an accident.

The woman's lawyer says they will appeal against the decision, which he described as a breach of human rights.

The incident follows months of intense debate in France about whether the veils should be banned.

Earlier this week, President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered parliament to debate a law banning women from wearing full-face Islamic veils in public.

'Safety risk'

After stopping the 31-year-old woman - who has not been named - police asked her to raise her veil to confirm her identity, which she did.

They then fined her 22 euros ($29; £19), saying her clothing posed a "safety risk".

"This fine is not justified on road safety grounds and constitutes a breach of human and women's rights," her lawyer, Jean-Michel Pollono, told AFP news agency.

He said the woman's field of vision was not obstructed and added that a veil was no different from a motorcycle helmet in terms of hindrance to vision.

He said he had formally complained to the state prosecutor.

"The ball is clearly in the authorities' court," he said. "Currently no law forbids the wearing of the niqab."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8641070.stm

[glo]

I have heard accounts from women who wear niqab and state that it does restrict the wearer's vision.
Perhaps muslimahs who wear niqab can comment here.

Does wearing niqab impair safety whilst driving a car?

[marwen]

I just find the French police really ridiculus. Niqab is not obscuring the sight, How do you think could veiled women see and walk ?
I think they're just desperately trying to find stupid arguments to ban islamic clothing.

[aamirsaab]

France is actually Islamophobic. You know how sharia banking is welcomed with open arms all around the world? Not the case in france...

Also, if no law prohibits the use of veil driving, those cops should get reprimanded. Or something.

You know what, let's just call robocop and let him sort it out.

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[Cabdullahi]

I have heard accounts from women who wear niqab and state that it does restrict the wearer's vision.
Perhaps muslimahs who wear niqab can comment here.

Does wearing niqab impair safety whilst driving a car?

The fabric covers everything but the eyes aunty...no visual impairment , it's not blind man's bluff :)

[Getoffmyback]

Women can see better than men . Their visibility is 180 degrees unlike men its only 90 degrees. So lets say the niqab held 50 degrees of their sight ..... They still have 130 ,still better than men.

[Raaina]

I don't see how it would restrict vision at all. As someone else pointed out, motorcycle helmets surely restrict vision as that has a visor that goes *over* the eyes.

Honestly, you think the police would have better things to spend time on...

[Supreme]

Women can see better than men . Their visibility is 180 degrees unlike men its only 90 degrees. So lets say the niqab held 50 degrees of their sight ..... They still have 130 ,still better than men.

Wait, what? Could you provide a source for that? I personally don't believe it.

Anyway, France is turning less tolerant, she was driving a car, not a risk, etc, etc.

[Getoffmyback]

this link is about the human eye field vision.

http://clarkvision.com/imagedetail/eye-resolution.html

Based on the above data for the resolution of the human eye, let's try a "small" example first. Consider a view in front of you that is 90 degrees by 90 degrees, like looking through an open window at a scene. The number of pixels would be
90 degrees * 60 arc-minutes/degree * 1/0.3 * 90 * 60 * 1/0.3 = 324,000,000 pixels (324 megapixels).
At any one moment, you actually do not perceive that many pixels, but your eye moves around the scene to see all the detail you want. But the human eye really sees a larger field of view, close to 180 degrees. Let's be conservative and use 120 degrees for the field of view. Then we would see
120 * 120 * 60 * 60 / (0.3 * 0.3) = 576 megapixels.
The full angle of human vision would require even more megapixels. This kind of image detail requires A large format camera to record.

[ardianto]

Look, what's racing car drivers wear inside their helmets.

[aadil77]

Look, what's racing car drivers wear inside their helmets.

yh you cant wear that in public

[ardianto]

yh you cant wear that in public

At least, that is a proof, wearing veil does not restrict driver's vision.

[Pygoscelis]

Look, what's racing car drivers wear inside their helmets.

Does the burka have that much space open around the eyes?

[ardianto]

Does the burka have that much space open around the eyes?

You didn't notice the article carefully.

Read the second paragraph, " which showed only her eyes". This is means she wore Saudi style Abaya, not Afghani style Burqa.

[glo]

^
I guess there are different types.
My concern is that whilst a balaclava is fitted tightly round the head, the full veil doesn't always.
I also notice that the balaclava is cut fairly wide to the side - allowing for good peripheral vision.


One would have to wear a burka myself to really know what it is like. That's why I was asking for muslimahs who wear burka themselves.
It's fine for non-Muslims and Muslim men to make comments - but really we are only guessing!



Here are some pics for comparison. Perhaps there are other veils which have a wider space for the eyes.

[glo]

You didn't notice the article carefully.

Read the second paragraph, " which showed only her eyes". This is means she wore Saudi style Abaya, not Afghani style Burqa.

Can you show me the differences between Abaya and Burqa?
Which are the ones I posted in my post above?

[ardianto]

Can you show me the differences between Abaya and Burqa?
Which are the ones I posted in my post above?

Saudi's Abaya.

Afghani's Burqa.

[Supreme]

Which is more impending on the sight- the Burkha, or the Abaya? Because if she was wearing a Burqa, the French police may have had a point of pulling her over.

[islamirama]

Can you show me the differences between Abaya and Burqa?

Just so you know there are different types of burqas as well. The one posted above is an afghani burqa, its also called a topi (hat) burqa since the top is like a hat and its all one piece. It's more popular in the media these days.

[EllyDicious]

Women can see better than men . Their visibility is 180 degrees unlike men its only 90 degrees. So lets say the niqab held 50 degrees of their sight ..... They still have 130 ,still better than men.

Just because women in general could see better than men, doesn't mean this specific woman didn't have problems with her eyes-sight.
There are exceptions to every rule, no ?

[Getoffmyback]

Just because women in general could see better than men, doesn't mean this specific woman didn't have problems with her eyes-sight.
There are exceptions to every rule, no ?

Yes There are exceptions in rules when it comes to poetry :) but this woman have healthy eyes there are No problems in her sight. I don't see the exceptions here!

And this face covering can be adjusted the way you want .

[ardianto]

Which is more impending on the sight- the Burkha, or the Abaya? Because if she was wearing a Burqa, the French police may have had a point of pulling her over.

I agree. The 'face net' in Burqa could restrict her sight.

[islamirama]

It's amazing how the Ninjas could run at full speed on uneven ground, fight aggressively with multiple people, climb walls, roofs and what not at night time and they never had any problem seeing and yet these moron kuffars claim a woman in a niqab in broad day light can't see properly. They are the ones who are really blind.

[M..x]

Oh gosh. Not this burkah story. All I have to say is that I flippin' hate tha French authorities. They're so **** pathetic and anti-Islam!

[ardianto]

It's amazing how the Ninjas could fun at full speed on uneven ground, fight aggressively with multiple people, climb walls, roofs and what not at night time and they never had any problem seeing and yet these moron kuffars claim a woman in a niqab in broad day light can't see properly. They are the ones who are really blind.

Some people in my country call women who wear niqab as Ninja.

[Cabdullahi]

Oh gosh. Not this burkah story. All I have to say is that I flippin' hate tha French authorities. They're so **** pathetic and anti-Islam!

language please!

[aadil77]

Some people in my country call women who wear niqab as Ninja.

yh its sad even muslims against it

[M..x]

Abdullahi. Sorry. Its not really a swear word *eyes rolly*.
& The ninja comment is not really all that funny & is hardly even considered an insult nowdays, tha people I know just go along with it. It shows ignorance and stupidity and thats pretty much it.

[Pygoscelis]

It's amazing how the Ninjas could run at full speed on uneven ground, fight aggressively with multiple people, climb walls, roofs and what not at night time and they never had any problem seeing and yet these moron kuffars claim a woman in a niqab in broad day light can't see properly. They are the ones who are really blind.

I think you may have some misconceptions about historical ninjas. You seem to be conjuring up the mythical ninja poplularized in western culture.

[Supreme]

yh its sad even muslims against it

Indeed.

In October 2009, the MCC called for a ban on burka and niqab (though not the hijab), saying that they have "no basis in Islam."[8] Spokesperson Farzana Hassan cited public safety issues, such as identity concealment, as well as gender equality, stating that wearing the burka and niqab is "a practice that marginalizes women."[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Canadian_Congress

[ardianto]

I think you may have some misconceptions about historical ninjas. You seem to be conjuring up the mythical ninja poplularized in western culture.

Yes, the real Japanese Ninjas were different than Michael Dudikoff the American Ninja.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Canadian_Congress

Another Liberal Muslim. :hmm:

[Ramadhan]

Indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Canadian_Congress

Oh wait, do you know what else this tiny crazy group support?

Congregration prayer led by woman and same sex marriage.

That's right.

:exhausted

Just an advice, if you want people take your posts seriously, get info from credible sources.

[ardianto]

Oh wait, do you know what else this tiny crazy group support?

Congregration prayer led by woman and same sex marriage.

That's right.

:exhausted

Just an advice, if you want people take your posts seriously, get info from credible sources.

Their official website

http://www.muslimcanadiancongress.org/

[Supreme]

Oh wait, do you know what else this tiny crazy group support?

Congregration prayer led by woman and same sex marriage.

That's right.

:exhausted

Just an advice, if you want people take your posts seriously, get info from credible sources.

I believe my source was sound, although the official website is in the link above, so you can see for yourself.

[Asiyah3]

It clearly doesn't restrict the vision. Just another dump lame excuse.

[marwen]

here is the woman fined by french police, wearing her full hijab. It really doesn't restrict vision :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBhd_7J_-qc

[Pygoscelis]

I have to agree, it doesn't restrict vision. She should be allowed to wear this while driving. Some of the other veils I'd have a problem with, but this one has a rather large area for the eyes and no veil in front of them.