Political rumblings in Amsterdam:

Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk is in favour of imposing a ban on the wearing of a burka in public spaces.

The Liberal VVD told MPs on Thursday night the face-covering clothing is a symbol of division (between the West and Islam) and was not in harmony with the integration of Muslims and the emancipation of women.

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One of the options being studied is whether a general ban on the burka is possible under current regulations. It will then also be assessed whether a ban wearing a burka can be justified based on issues of safety and public order.

The final option is whether a ban can be imposed via existing regulations such as a general local ordinance or compulsory identification laws.

Government ministers had been called back to the Parliament to explain why they had not yet imposed a ban on the burka, as demanded by MPs in December at the initiative of Geert Wilders. It had previously been revealed that the cabinet was divided over the issue.

By itself, the wearing of a burqa in public is not “symbol of division” in a Western society, it’s merely a symbol of that society’s ability to incorporate people from different backgrounds. There’s nothing wrong with a burqa per se, as long as it is worn voluntarily.

A grave threat to Western culture is the murderous intolerance shown by some radical Muslims to our core values, like that of free thought and free speech. But we have other important values, such as the freedom to worship (or not) as we please—as long as one’s actions don’t infringe upon someone else’s rights.

The way to address the fact that there are some Jihadists in the Muslim world who need to be defeated is not to strip all Muslims of their right to wear religious attire. Doing so does nothing to further the integration of Muslims, it only serves as a signal that they are not welcome.

Western cultures will go down a dangerous path if we start outlawing legitimate, non-violent and uncoerced expressions of faith.