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Muslim women exempt from ID card photos [UK stupidity alert]
The Observer ^
| Sunday April 25, 2004
| Kamal Ahmed, political editor
Posted on 04/24/2004 6:01:04 PM PDT by aculeus
Thousands of Muslim women will be exempted from having to show their faces on identity cards as the Government moves to allay fears among British Muslims that the new cards will be used to target them in the 'war on terror'.
As David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, faced attack for not allowing enough debate over the introduction of the first ID cards in Britain since the Second World War, officials made it clear that if Muslim women do not want to reveal their faces in public, that would be respected.
Instead of a photograph, there would be an exemption for certain people, who would only have to give fingerprint and iris-recognition data.
Although the exact type of information held on the card has still to be finalised in negotiation with other industrialised nations, Home Office sources made it clear that they backed the idea.
'We have had constructive discussions with the Muslim community and want to assure them we are sensitive to their points of view,' said a source close to Blunkett.
The Home Secretary moved after representations from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). Officials on the council told The Observer that although they support the idea of identity cards they are concerned that they could be used to persecute ethnic minorities.
'As we have seen with the anti-terror laws and with stop and search, if powers are used in the wrong way they can have the effect of singling out a community for no good reason,' said a legal advisor to the MCB.
'We are not against ID cards as such, but we want to ensure that they are used properly.'
Blunkett will announce tomorrow a £3 billion scheme to introduce identity cards to Britain. Although at first the scheme will be voluntary, the Home Office will argue that the country should move to a compulsory scheme by 2012.
By then the public would not be forced to carry them but would have to produce a card within a limited period if asked by the police.
Blunkett has said privately that he wants people to carry them at all times.
The cards will cost £35 or between £70 and £80 for one combined with a driving licence or passport. They will contain name, age and date and will be linked to a national database which will contain information on criminal records, health details and social security information.
Civil liberties groups are set to condemn the proposals, which they say will put more power in the hands of the state and are likely to be technically unworkable.
'The public have serious and understandable concerns that the Government will simply not be able to handle the data they will be attempting to collect,' said Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty.
The Earl of Selborne, chairman of the Royal Society's influential science in society committee, said that the public should be aware of the dangers of ID cards.
'There has been a lack of public debate and there is a very real danger that we are sleepwalking into our technological future,' he said.
'The public suggested that they should hold information that might be useful in a medical emergency such as blood group or allergies.
'But what if the cards also held data about our genetic disposition to specific diseases, or revealed information about our lifestyles that affect health, such as how much we are overweight or how much alcohol we are drinking, updated daily.
'These are technically possible in the future, so we should be discussing whether they are desirable.'
Blunkett will argue that ID cards will help fight against organised crime, illegal immigration, terrorism, identity fraud and 'health tourism'.
TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; doublestandard; england; id; idcards; identification; islamfascism; islamofascists; muslims; muslimwomen; nationalsecurity; papersplease; pc; photos; politicallycorrect; religion; ukmuslims
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1
posted on
04/24/2004 6:01:05 PM PDT
by
aculeus
To: aculeus
Amazingly stupid. Muslim fanatics want to kill them. European politicians want to help accomplish the task (Remember, these pols all have guards and security.)
To: JeeperFreeper
Monumentally stupid.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
3
posted on
04/24/2004 6:06:58 PM PDT
by
section9
(Major Motoko Kusanagi says, "John Kerry: all John F., no Kennedy..." Click on my pic!)
To: aculeus
Now the terrorists can recruit women to do their killing like the Palestinians do in Israel.
We westerners are just stupid.
Arabs and Muslims are not affording us any respect...they actually want to murder us all. But we continue treeating them with respect.
I'll give them respect the day I can pray as a Christian in Saudi Arabia. And I'm not holding my breath on this one.
4
posted on
04/24/2004 6:08:21 PM PDT
by
dinok
To: JeeperFreeper
Who's idea was it to bring them into England in the first place?
5
posted on
04/24/2004 6:08:43 PM PDT
by
risk
To: aculeus
Oh NO
we must NOT Offend The POOR Peacefull Muslims
[sarcasm]
6
posted on
04/24/2004 6:09:23 PM PDT
by
Charlespg
(Civilization and freedom are only worthy of those who defend or support defending It)
To: section9
England sinks deeper into the muck.
7
posted on
04/24/2004 6:10:58 PM PDT
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: aculeus
One hopes that those in government are more intelligent than the average person on the street, but obviously this is increasingly most assuredly not the case. The plan is unworkable and frankly idiotic from any number of angles.
To: aculeus
Will they even take some kind of test to determine they really are women and not a cross dressing hermuslimdite ?
9
posted on
04/24/2004 6:13:05 PM PDT
by
F.J. Mitchell
(We all know Audie Murphy,We all admire Audie Murphy-you John Kerry, are no Audie Murphy.)
To: aculeus
Rather than impose the indignity and tyranny of any "ID card" on any citizen why not just stop Islamic immigration?
10
posted on
04/24/2004 6:15:29 PM PDT
by
Burkeman1
("I said the government can't help you. I didn't say it couldn't hurt you." Chief Wiggam)
To: aculeus
When did they put Chirac in charge of Britain??
11
posted on
04/24/2004 6:15:51 PM PDT
by
Thom Pain
(Quisling - from Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), a synonym for "traitor")
To: aculeus
Suicidal and loving it bump!
12
posted on
04/24/2004 6:15:52 PM PDT
by
ECM
To: aculeus
This is sheer insanity.
13
posted on
04/24/2004 6:16:39 PM PDT
by
FairOpinion
(If you are not voting for Bush, you are voting for the terrorists.)
To: aculeus
That goodness my religion says I don't have to have a frigging ID card at all ........ if they are gonna bend for one then the system is moot IMHO. One more feel good measure against terrorism. How modern !
14
posted on
04/24/2004 6:17:32 PM PDT
by
Squantos
(Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.)
To: aculeus; All
Stupid stupid Stupid
What make these Muslum woman so special i got question here
What because they wear Veil
Nice going Brits
15
posted on
04/24/2004 6:21:42 PM PDT
by
SevenofNine
("Not everybody , in it, for truth, justice, and the American way,"=Det Lennie Briscoe)
To: aculeus
It is stupid; but the bigger picture is to cause disention among cultures.
To: aculeus
It's my understanding that in Muslim countries women are required to have full face photographs for ID's and passports. It's a no burka zone.
This is frickin insane! They won't even have to use women for their suicide parties. What makes them think that Muslim guys won't start being cross-dressers??? They could don the peephole sheets just as easy as the ladies.
How many people will be murdered before P.C. thinking will be dropped? I suspect quite a few. Frickin amazing.
17
posted on
04/24/2004 6:26:57 PM PDT
by
lizma
To: lizma
This is unbelievable
18
posted on
04/24/2004 6:31:23 PM PDT
by
Selene
To: lizma
How many people will be murdered before P.C. thinking will be dropped? I suspect quite a few.I'm afraid you are correct, unfortunately, the "enlightened ones" that think up these policies won't be the ones that will be murdered........
19
posted on
04/24/2004 6:42:33 PM PDT
by
dirtbiker
(Solution for Terrorism: Nuke 'em 'till they glow, then shoot 'em in the dark!)
To: dirtbiker
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