From Where I Sit - November 27th

As heard on 560 CFOS and seen at www.radioowensound.com

What is it they keep saying we're fighting the war in Afghanistan for?

What is that word George Bush keeps using in selling the war on terror?

Freedom.

We want to protect freedom, spread freedom, everybody must have freedom!

As long as you don't scare us, right?

There's a movement afoot to ban Muslim women from wearing a full face veil and burqua to cover themselves. Not all do - but some believe their god wants them to remain covered in public.

So far the Dutch, French, Italians, Belgians and Germans have asked - very nicely I'm sure - for Muslim women to uncover.

The Owen Sound Sun Times even had an opinion column from Shirly Holmes that hinted of support for banning the full face veil.

Holmes argues it harms the equality of women - but it's not up to the government to force our cultural values on another.

Are we forgetting what freedom means? It doesn't mean - the right to look and dress and talk and act exactly like the rest of us. It means the right to look, and dress and talk however you want.

There are arguments that covering a face like that can make a woman look sinister and incite further stereotypes or hatred. I'd say that's not the Muslim women's fault, it's the biggot's fault.

Or perhaps the women can even use the veil to hide their identity and rob a jewelry story like in a recent case in Toronto.

Well then, who will champion the cause for banning ski masks, goggles, scarves, turtle necks, sunglasses and frankly any kind of mask? It's just too dangerous.

We would never even consider banning those things, that would be ridiculous. And so is the idea that we can tell or even ask Muslim women to change their clothes. Frankly, it reeks of not only fear mongering but also racism.

From where I sit it's time to remember what freedom really means, I'm Shawn Mullin.