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Australian Senator Cory Bernardi has printed on his website (now removed) that the Burqa should be banned “for safety reasons” following its use for an armed robbery.

Following this line of reasoning the balaclava, the motorcycle helmet and the scarf should also be banned.

And for those who read spam e-mail – the South Australian woman wearing a Burqa on her driver’s license does not exist. Senator Bernardi might claim that his proposed ban is for safety reasons, but we all know the real reason.

Senator Bernardi’s comments regarding the Burqa are stupid for many reasons.

1. It is a complete waste of police time and taxpayer money. There are bound to be protests if this is ever introduced and every protest has police on hand in case things get ugly. Police have real criminals to catch.

2. Why should the government have any say over what we can and can’t wear? To use a pathetically political argument this could be the thin end of the wedge. They could start banning boxer shorts and G strings worn above pants – Australians have a right to bad taste.

3. It will be counter-productive. Many Muslims and non-Muslims may start wearing a burqa simply as a form of protest. They say that the banning of a movie is advertising paid for by the government, the same could be true of burqas.

4. How would the ban work? Will they arrest Muslim women for wearing a burqa or fine them? Either way that sounds like persecution to me.

5. Even if you assume that Muslim women are forced to wear the burqa by a patriarchal Muslim culture it still makes no sense. They are told to wear the burqa by a patriarchal culture on one side and told not to wear it by a parliament that consists of 75% men on the other side. It is unfair and patriarchal either way.

6. It makes us a target for terrorism. I’m not saying that fear of terrorism should in any way influence what we do. But why should we stir up the ants nest? If you see a snake do you poke it with a stick? Australia has been lucky with no successful terrorist attacks on Australian soil. Why risk that with a stupid law that is counter-productive and will never be enforced.

7. It is un-Australian. We criticise Iran and Saudi Arabia for forcing women to wear headscarves and now certain members of the Liberal party want to force women not to wear it – is there any real difference?

Of course it is also sexist, racist and anti-religion. Even I aren’t a real fan of the burqa as it is a one-way ticket to vitamin D deficiency, but I will defend anybody’s right to wear it. Except for armed robbers of course.