Following a recent incident where two assailants donning burqas allegedly attacked a pregnant women in Seattle, WA, anti-Muslim activist Pamela Geller called for a ban on the traditional Islamic garb, referring to them as “infernal cloth coffins.”
Geller claims a ban on burqas would be in the interest of national security, however, it really reflects her disdain for Muslims and the religion of Islam. Unfortunately, Geller’s hollowed call for a ban on burqas parallels a greater international movement to disallow the religious dress. Countries such as France, Canada, and the Netherlands have all passed legislation banning burqas from the public space.
However in the United States, the right to wear a burqa without government interference is protected under the First Amendment. Geller champions herself as a defender of free speech and the Constitution, but of course when it comes to the rights of Muslims she is quick to claim such freedoms do not apply.