Well, you can wear those symbols under your uniform/shirt without anybody knowing.

And the niqab is not a symbol of Islam, the half moon and star is.

Furthermore, it not only goes against the rules of working for the public sector, it actually goes against everything the west has fought for with regards to women being equal.

If we look at the reason why it is worn then we get an idea of how offensive it is to male customers.

The idea is that the female covers her body and face so as to not "tease" the men around her. Which implies that all men are only capable of looking at women with an eye for sex. It also implies that women are somehow responsible for the "purity" (a.k.a low sexual arousal) of the men in their society. It's an outrageous concept.

The least I would expect is for it to not be allowed in the public sector.

It shows disrespect towards your adopted country and in today's western world where a threat of a common non-muslim citizen is very real, anyone dressing in a islamic way promotes hatred eventhough they might not be guilty. I mean, how often do we see someone from eastern europe or similiar dressing up in their traditional clothing? Don't promote even more suspicion towards yourself by dressing up in such a way that people might be suspicious towards you. That will lead to the usual "he/she is against my religius beliefs, I am going to sue and live off the lawsuit money." I am sure that the same respect towards non-muslims living in muslim-dominated countries is not even close to comparison to the way muslims are respected in the western world. Just imagine a jew living in a muslim-dominated country wearing a yarmulka (I hope that is the right spelling) walking down the street in Riyadh or any major muslim country?

In addition, allowing them to wear the niqab today would mean that tomorrow they will be allowed to teach the inhumane "Sharia Law" in every-day school classes. Why not? Hey, if you don't allow me to do so, I am going to sue you.......and circle starts again. Enough is enough.

Again I want to point out the Niqab is NOT exercise of religion, it is NOT a requirement, just a deep rooted cultural tradition.

Lol thanks. I tend not to write well.

Well I'm from UK so the whole America thing p's me off. You are right that it is difficult to assimilate, however you look at most muslim women and they do not wear the niqab (In UK). In the same way when going to an Islamic country you shouldn't be showing off your cleavage and wearing tight clothes, but cover up out of respect. It's about meeting middle ground. They can wear a Hijab, but not a Niqab, we can cover up a bit. It goes both ways.

You're also confusing conquering a culture with assimilating with it. Europeans completely raped out the Natives, with intent to do so, not to settle with them and smoke pipe :P.

Take for example my family (I was born in UK). When we came, we learned the language and culture. We lived similar to the English but have kept the most important aspects of our own culture to ourselves. I dress mostly in western clothing, but my mum still dresses how she used to and as long as it doesn't affect her job, she should be allowed.

For a Sikh it is compulsory to wear a turban (or have it tied back i think). Unless it made a difference to their job, they should be allowed to wear it. I know there was controversy when they were not allowed to join certain policing/army positions because there was no protective headgear which allowed them to keep their turban. They have accepted this and you don't see them making as big a fuss about it (except for a couple of oddballs).

Forgetting that you should try and assimilate with a country which is open to your beliefs, at least when working you should abide to company policies, especially when they do not infringe on your rights.

I don't have a problem with somebody showing their faith in small amounts i.e. a necklace, bracelet, ring etc. It may not be required but it doesn't harm/affect or cause any difference to anybody in any way. Unless there's some sort of health and safety issue, I think everybody should be able to wear something.

However with something like a niqab, which isn't even a requirement within the religion, which hides the wearer's face, I have a problem with.

When people come to another country, they should respect that countries culture more than that country should respect theirs and when you get a job, you should follow the companies guidelines. It is not infringing on their culture or lifestyle and does not affect their private life. When these people come to UK or America, they should understand the differences in culture and try to adapt a little bit, not make the west change to their ways. This is coming from somebody of ethnic origin. I feel that in my own time, I can wear practically anything I want, but when it comes to work, I wear my work clothes. I have many muslim colleagues, a couple wear the hijab and some do not wear anything. Nobody has complained about not being allowed to weat the niqab. I think most the time its just an attention wh*re.... or that person has been so used to wearing the niqab all their lives that they find it difficult to change. That's their problem really and shouldn't try for a job that requires them to not wear it.

I don't really have a problem with hijabs, but niqabs I do.

Yes your right but in the same token if you are giving out your details to someone you have the right to know who it is you are giving them to. You aren't allowed to walk into a shop or bank or even a service station wearing a helmet so why should this be any different. There is nothing that tells you who is under the scarf so why should you trust a total stranger who wont show their face. Not to mention how intimidating it is to alot of people.

Yes your right but in the same token if you are giving out your details to someone you have the right to know who it is you are giving them to. You aren't allowed to walk into a shop or bank or even a service station wearing a helmet so why should this be any different. There is nothing that tells you who is under the scarf so why should you trust a total stranger who wont show their face.

That's not entirely true...

People have the right to choose what they wear for example. But how many businesses require you to wear a uniform? Countless.

People also have the right to say what they want. But is it OK for a waiter to tell a gay couple that he thinks they will go to hell? No.

You rights only go as far as other people's rights begin.

The public sector is no different in that it requires a "uniform" and a code of conduct which may or may not go against your personal beliefs. If you don't like the rules of the job then don't do the job.

If a woman working behind the counter in a bank came to work wearing a balaclava, and she provided no religious reason for doing it, she would be reprimanded immediately by her manager and asked to take it off. Why is it that if you have a religious reason for doing something, you are all of a sudden above the rules? It's nonsense.

While working at the office you are a public servant an officer. You demostrate impartiality and also no religion. A niqab is a symbol of religion or worst still may be a sign of patriarchal mentality. It is an absolute no for the public sector.

Some few months ago, there was a politician in office that refused to talk to a woman who had come to visit him in office wearing a niqab. He claimed he had the right to be able to see the face of the person talking to him. But she went to the media and made a fuss about how her religious right was not respected.

The media buried that incident quite swiftly because no one was sure where it would lead.

There have also been cases where court judges have demanded that witnesses remove the niqab when testifying, because seeing the witnesses face is part of them determining their truthfulness.

But I was more curious as to what your opinions might be when it comes to the workplace. Should muslim women be allowed to wear the niqab when working for a bank, or a hospital, or any position where they come to contact with the public? Is it any different to wearing a cross? Is it any different to wearing a balaklava?

I think it can be compared to a disability. Persons with disabilities are given jobs based on if they can complete tasks with reasonable or no necessary accommodations.

This may not interfere with task completion, but office safety and information security could be compromised.

dude the thing is neither abt mentality and rights. Its the front you put up as a public officer. As an officer you serve the country who has no religion of its own. Your argument has nthing to do with the topic.