As expected it looks like the French government will ban the wearing of full face veils in public spaces. Also to be banned, Lone Ranger masks, Batman type cowls and wearing bags with eyeholes cut out over your head (except if very ugly and in Paris).

Actually I’m not that keen on governments being able to tell people what they can and cannot wear, although I despise the veil and all it implies – isolation, lack of equality and freedom – but I’d rather it was voluntary. It is a dreadfully dehumanising garment – concealing someone’s face in public at all times is effectively erasing their individual identity and isolating that woman. The vast bulk of human communication is non verbal and by concealing the features they are removing the bulk of their interaction abilities with other people – hardly a positive move. And as someone who has had to serve a couple of women in my old job who were wearing the full rig with only eyes peeking out I have to say I found it quite disconcerting to talk to someone who was hiding themselves from me. I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate it if I had pulled my bandana over my face Western bandit style to talk to them. In addition to the cultural problems the veil causes I have to say that I think it is also quite simply rude – expecting other people to interact with you while you conceal your face simply comes across as very rude to me.

But again I don’t care for governments dictating these kinds of rules – we have, after all, historic precedent for government banning certain clothing in Scotland, such as tartan after the ’45. But surely it would be better to try and persuade women that they are in a free, liberal society and don’t have to hide themselves just because some stupid old men with huge beards and a continual fear of the strength of women have fooled them into thinking they need to…