Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

The Taoiseach said there are no plans to ban the wearing of the burqa in Ireland. Shutterstock/Smarta

Leo Varadkar: 'There will be no burqa ban in Ireland'

Denmark, France and Belgium are just some of the countries that have banned the burqa.

TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said Ireland will not ban the wearing of the burqa in public.

“We are not proposing any burqa bans or any legislation on what people can or can’t wear on their heads – so short answer is [there are] no plans to do that.”

His comments come after week-long protests in Denmark after it banned the wearing of face veils in public.

Denmark’s parliament enacted the ban in May, joining France, Belgium and other EU countries.

Varadkar said Ireland would not be following in the footsteps of some other jurisdictions, stating:

My view on it… I don’t like it but I think people are entitled to wear what they want to wear.
I believe in the freedom of religion. I don’t agree with the doctrine of every religion or necessarily any religion, but I do believe in the freedom of religion.

The Taoiseach said “religions make their own laws”, indicating that he would not be using his power to weigh in on such matters.

“There is a big difference in saying what you think should be done and whether you are going to use the power of the law to enforce it,” he said.

This is not the first time the Taoiseach has been asked about his views on religion.

The Taoiseach has already said he does not agree with the Catholic Church’s policy towards women.

He has also said he believes women should be allowed become priests in the Catholic Church and any other religious institution.

“When I say that my personal view that women should be allowed to become priests in the Catholic Church, of course I would like to see it in the synagogues, the mosques as well,” he said, adding:

“I don’t think there should be any positions that women are banned from.”

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
19 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Currie
    Favourite Alan Currie
    Report
    Aug 7th 2018, 7:56 PM

    Hope I don’t get arrested when I post my letters into one of those.

    57
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ultan Rooney
    Favourite Ultan Rooney
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 12:10 PM

    I hope Leo is also okay with sharia law, polygamy and child marriage. After all these are the laws of Islam too. You can’t have your cake and eat it too Leo. Ban the burqa people!!!

    66
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute JR Robinson
    Favourite JR Robinson
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 3:36 PM

    Let’s hit motorists with silly fines, they are the easy ones, let’s not try and possibly save the lives of our country men and women by protecting ourselves and having people reveal their identity every where they go in public, this in turn also promotes sharia law and the law that is imposed on these women by their husbands etc, a country who is trying to be so modern and trying to shake off the Catholic church yet accepting a society that has killed more innocent people over their religious beliefs more than any other religion.
    Ban the Burka

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Kennedy
    Favourite Shane Kennedy
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 11:43 PM

    @JR Robinson: Islam killed more innocents ? How about the Crusades, the Inquisition, colonisation, particularly in Africa and by Leopold (of Belgium) in the Congo, 10 MILLION people killed under his regime of region-wide slavery ?

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Doyle
    Favourite James Doyle
    Report
    Aug 11th 2018, 11:28 AM

    @Shane Kennedy: All religions are evil and dangerous nonsense. The wearing of the dark ages hideous looking and dare i say scary burka and other clothes worn by Muslim women should be banned If they want to join Western society they should assimilate not intimidate

    12
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ryan D. MagickQuail
    Favourite Ryan D. MagickQuail
    Report
    Aug 14th 2018, 10:01 AM

    @Shane Kennedy: Ever heard of the Mughals? and the 100,000 Hindus a year they massacred. for 800 years of invasion and war.
    Here take a look, everyones guilty. we should all leave this nonsense in the apst where it belongs and stop pointing uninformed fingers.
    Its not fair to be saying things about race and religion when all the facts and historical evidence is not present. are we ever going to learn how to talk and accept our differences.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Hindus

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Yusuf Chowdhury
    Favourite Yusuf Chowdhury
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 5:19 AM

    Well said Leo, appreciate your fairness to religion and freedom of wearing cloths

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael O Connell
    Favourite Michael O Connell
    Report
    Aug 10th 2018, 3:01 PM

    Will it also be acceptable to wear a BALACLAVA ?

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Blessing
    Favourite John Blessing
    Report
    Aug 10th 2018, 4:35 PM

    Great I can now wear my Balaclava at work!

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Randian Mallu
    Favourite Randian Mallu
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 3:42 PM

    Finally no to Religious discrimination” and good “religious tolerance” in IRELAND, haters in comments appreciate this freedom if you call yourself IRISH

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute oppenheimersghost
    Favourite oppenheimersghost
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 6:52 PM

    How is this not considered an egregious insult to women? Where is Simon Harris on this?

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David O'Connor
    Favourite David O'Connor
    Report
    Aug 11th 2018, 6:29 AM

    It should be banned, you wouldn’t want people walking around in ski masks or balaclava now would you so why should this be any different. Well done to France, Belgium and Denmark for banning the disgrace that is the burqa. I have no issues with muslims or headscarfs but the burqa is just so wrong, no one should be hiding their face in public, you have no way to tell who is underneath it, if they commit crimes no way to tell who they are etc

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Kennedy
    Favourite Shane Kennedy
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 11:38 PM

    Religious tolerance shouldn’t allow you to hide your identity/face. Nor should it facilitate men’s imposition of a dress code on women who would otherwise go without. However, a Burqa DOESN’T cover the face, that is a Hijab ! In the 60s and 70s, Iranian and Afghani women would often wear western attire, and wouldn’t be chatised for it, so to say that all Mulim women consentually wear even a Burqa, is bollocks

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Randian Mallu
    Favourite Randian Mallu
    Report
    Aug 9th 2018, 3:21 PM

    @Shane Kennedy: how do you know that the women are doing it with there own happiness and are comfortable in what they are wearing ?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Randian Mallu
    Favourite Randian Mallu
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 3:45 PM

    Anti-Muslim haters in this comments you all don’t deserve to be called irish, you should appreciate the freedom given by Ireland to religions

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute oppenheimersghost
    Favourite oppenheimersghost
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 6:52 PM

    Back in the boat @Randian Mallu:

    We understand you are here to subvert our nation and use our own laws to that end. That shit might fly in england but not here

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall O Byrne
    Favourite Niall O Byrne
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 1:29 PM

    moronic twaddle from the master of such. Lets see him fight to have Women imams in Ireland and bring in Law to force it as he is trying to do with the easy one to bully

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Kennedy
    Favourite Shane Kennedy
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 11:44 PM

    As for Harris, he is Varadker’s pet poodle. I wonder what else passes between them !

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Christine Paulette Roche
    Favourite Christine Paulette Roche
    Report
    Aug 8th 2018, 3:55 AM

    Right,so men/women can be paedophiles on streets/beaches/toilets/parks as long as a burka wearing thing in just happens along and kills a child/woman/man,that’s grand so Leo u disgusting piece of f_ING shit.

    23
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds