Human right is a very general term

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Sep 10, 2016 at 12:37

Dear Dr Pipes,

Your reader surmised that the proposed ban on different kinds of face covering Islamic attires is a violation of human rights. He is right. When a government restricts a person's right to dress according to his and her will then it is a violation of human rights. But the spectrum covered by the general notion of human rights is extremely wide. Declaring a nation to be a constitutional Islamic theocracy and, thus, making all non-Muslims second class citizens is a bigger human right issue than banning an article of clothing for well justified reasons.

Welcoming diversity on special occasions is good. Insisting on diversity on every occasion is bad (because we all are supposed to live and work together and religions are supposed to make living together easier and not more difficult).

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