26 May 2010: Paul'sTopic (although he couldn't make it)

OK, we all have a week to form some opinions on this topic... (which is less ethereal than possibly some...)

A number of European countries/lawmakers (Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, etc.) have proposed/legislated that the burqa should be banned from public display. Is this an attack on religious belief, a liberation of oppressed women, a racist backlash again recent years Muslim terrorism or just politicians trying to draw peoples attention away from disappointing economic activity over the last couple of years?

So the conversation can head in a number of directions from there, but I think a couple of themes come though:

- Should religion have freedom to express itself in whatever it's forms?

- Should members of society be forced to have responsibilities as well as rights? What limits either way?

- Is this a particularly European issue because of lack of multiculturalism? (well beside other Europeans - but is Australia any different?)

Anyway, we'll start with that, and maybe see where it leads.