'Un-Australian', a 'symbol of male domination', a 'security risk'. Those are some of the criticisms levelled at the burqa--the full-body veil worn by some Muslim women. Some Australian voices are calling for it to be banned in public. I was initially reticent to give air time to a suggestion that sounded, quite frankly, as xenophobic but it now seems worth a discussion. 

Belgium lawmakers recently voted to ban the burqa in public spaces, even though only about 30 women in Belgium wear one. This week France's parliament approved a resolution banning full-face cover in public, with legislation due there shortly. The idea has been pursued in Switzerland, Holland and Britain. 

Here, South Australian Senator Cori Bernardi last week called for the burqa to be banned, and Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile will introduce a Bill to the New South Wales parliament this week calling for the same. 

The idea isn't only on politicians' minds; some feminists have called for the full-body veil to be banned too. The main arguments for banning the burqa run along these lines:

1. The burqa is 'un-Australian' and not part of our culture. Perhaps that's true. But Thai restaurants, India saris and Sikh turbans weren't part of the Australian culture either, yet we allow them. This argument moves precariously towards racism in my mind.

2. The burqa is a 'symbol of oppression'. This is the feminist argument. The Koran, apparently, doesn't require a Muslim woman to be covered head-to-toe. The dress is required by certain conservative Muslim men. Feminists claim the burqa 'erases' a woman who wears it from society. But even if this is the case, is it the role of a government to change this? Shouldn't this rather be left to be debated and reformed within Islam itself? And what about those women who want to wear a burqa? Some have argued that you can't impose liberation on anyone. 

3. The third argument is one of security. This is partly what Senator Bernardi and Reverend Nile have argued. What is the use of a security camera when your face is completely concealed? Motorcyclists must take their helmets off before entering a bank so why shouldn't a woman wearing a burqa? Still, anyone can conceal their face by wearing a hat, glasses and scarf. Is the issue more about making sure someone can be recognized in areas where security is important, rather than banning a particular piece of clothing?

If it was banned, where might that leave other religious matters? One of the strongest criticisms against the Belgian and French decisions is the fact that these countries are rampantly secular and seem poised to eradicate religion altogether from the public square.

Islam accounts for just 3 percent of the Australian population and only a fraction of Muslim women wear the full-body veil. Is a law really necessary when it affects so few people? If you're a Muslim woman who wears the full-body burqa, is it a choice you've freely made? I'd love to know.

Give us your comments below and we'll explore the issue further on Sunday.