NO ORDINARY GARMENT? THE BURQA AND THE PURSUIT OF TOLERANCE Peter Kurti Islam is asserting itself in new ways in Australia. Some Australian Muslims are demanding recognition of sharia law, and are also calling for greater acceptance of Islamic practices in economic and social life — including wearing the burqa. Religious sensibilities must always be protected by law whenever possible. But how should Australia balance the right of an individual to live in obedience to their religious faith with the wider obligation of the state to promote social cohesion? Figure 1: Australians' personal attitudes to Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims, 2014. Percentage of people who were positive, neutral or negative Source: Andrew Markus, Mapping Social Cohesion: The Scanlon Foundation Survey’s National Report 2014 Table 1: Religious affiliation in Australia, 2006 & 2011, percentage of population 2006 2011 Buddhism 2.1% 2.5% Christianity 63.9% 61.1% Hinduism 0.7% 1.3% Islam 1.7% 2.2% Judaism 0.4% 0.5% Other Religions 0.5% 0.8% No Religion 18.7% 22.3% Not stated 11.2% 8.6% Total* 100.0% 100.0% * May not add to 100 due to rounding. Source: ABS Census Table Builder, 2006 & 2011 Census of Population and Housing The burqa is at odds with an open and liberal society in which seeing another’s face is an important element in interpersonal exchange. The issue of the burqa arises today because of a concern that those who wear it appear reluctant to adopt Australia’s civic culture. This unsettles the social compact. The limits to Australians’ ready tolerance of different religions can soon be reached if the social compact is unsettled. It’s already under strain: a recent poll found that 55.5% of respondents opposed the wearing of the burqa in public. This is due to concerns about the political, often anti- Western, values associated with Islam. Figure 2: Attitudes of Australians to wearing a burqa in public, 2010 & 2014. Percentage of people responding to the question: Should women be allowed to wear burqas in public places? Source: http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5825-australian- attitudes-to-wearing-burka-september-2014-201409230736