JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
Which do you think is best: iPhone or Android?
( 30 )
-
Google versus Facebook for dominance of the web. Who has the upper hand?
( 19 )
-
Should prefectures outside the Tohoku area accept tsunami rubble for incineration or disposal?
( 41 )
-
Do you think Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) should be nationalized?
( 13 )
-
Do you think credit ratings on countries from companies such as Standard & Poors, Moody’s and Fitch carry too much weight?
( 13 )
-
- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
-
- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
-
- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
Order by Time Order by Popularity
70 Comments
Login to comment
0
Mark_McCracken
Well, it would depend on the country, and the rights of citizens in that country, and the laws of each country.
0
cleo
Let folk wear what they like, within reason. I don't think children's faces should be covered in school, but most other religious dress codes can be got around with a bit of common sense.
0
Mark_McCracken
It's somewhat silly to ask people if they support "the ban", without saying specifically what ban, in what country you are referring to. My stance? I believe people should feel free to exercise whatever rights they have been granted by their respective governments. Additionally, people should follow the law.
0
Beelzebub
If you want to dress up like a clown, join the circus.
0
scap
People should respect the customs and traditions of the country they are living in or visiting. I would do so if I went to the Middle East. However, when I was teaching ESL in a program in the U.S. that offered free classes to students/immigrants, the Saudi women demanded a female teacher, which I am not. Some of them covered themselves completely, which was a bit hard for their female teacher to deal with. I also noted that many of the women drove in the US, while they could not in their own country. Some Saudi men drank alcohol and enjoyed porno movies, which I would say is hypocritical.
0
Badge213
I have no problem unless someone was trying to convert me.
0
tuneintokyo
clothing should not be a distraction in a learning environment. 100% for uniforms
0
Farmboy
Which countries besides France do this? Generally speaking, if clothing or symbols don't compromise safety or infringe on others, it's fine. Religion should be personal, though, and I do not support the right to annoy others with one's views in a public place.
0
johnnyreb
i support the ban only for islamic symbols.
0
UnagiDon
While I believe a global ban on all religions would be the best thing humanity could do for itself, I think that scap's point is a fair one. Respect the traditions of the country you have chosen to live in - don't expect your environment to change because you can't (or won't) adapt to it.
Of course, respecting the traditions of the country you have chosen to live in seems to be beyond the capabilities of many foreigners living in Japan...
0
Badge213
And most democratic free loving countries have something called "freedom of religion".
0
herefornow
Beelzebub -- Enlightened comment. But let me make sure I understand your logic. It is OK, for example, for Japanese women to cover themselves from head to toe, including scarves, to protect themselves from the sun, but not OK for a woman of the Islamic faith to do the same to honor her religious beliefs. Is that correct? Nice logic. And, if they arrested every woman here who wears a "cross" piece of jewellry, the streets would be empty.
0
womanforwomen
Scap and Unagidon are right. "Religion is the opium for masses" - nothing else. It is a personal matter. I know of a huge problem of burqas and related clothing worn in tropical countries. The women have developed all kinds of allegies and skin disease. I noticed in one skin clinic in a buddhist country, 95% of the patients were women clad in clothing as per Islamic rules. Atleast they should consider this matter with health and hygiene in mind.
Another incident, I had to walk out of a chinese restaurant because it was so uncomfortable when two women seated at a table right across mine, were trying to eat their food. Every time they wanted to put some food in their mouth they had to raise this long piece of flimsy net material which covered their entire face including eyes.
0
zurcronium
When you think about the cross and what happened on it, possibly, years ago it really is quite macabre. The cross should be banned in civilized countries.
0
Badsey
If people want to dress-up as Hello! Kitty and call it a religion that is their bag, but for schools you should respect the uniform religion.
0
WilliB
It is only because of islam and its political ambitions that this is an issue at all. No other "religion" has political ambitions like this, including putting women in a firm second place and off-limits for unbelievers.
If we had any guts and integrity, we could say no problem with religions symbols, but no to burquas and hijabs.
But because of political correctness, christian cross necklesses, Sikh turbans, or Jewish caps have to be banned too, although Catholics, Sikhs and Jews have no problem with modern society and human rights.
Thats where PC and cultural relativism is getting us.
0
TokyoRoughGuy
Aside from the cross, they all should be obviously banned.
0
jinjapan
you should be able to wear what you like wherever you like, but the reason i support the ban because when women visit muslim countries they have to cover their heads & so on. the way to go would be a worldwide agreement 1 way or the other.
0
smartacus
How come so many readers support the ban? Isn't that traveling the road to intolerance?
0
BobbieWickham
zurcronium. The reason most western countries are civilized is because of the cross. Religious symbols should be allowed as they add a bit of colour and interest to a drab world. They suggest difference not uniformity. I wish, though, that Moslem countries would show a little bit more tolerence to people of other faiths in their own countries.
0
Beelzebub
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that starting from September 1, all members of the Church of England were told, that as a public demonstration of their deep and abiding faith, they would henceforth be expected to wear a red putty nose at all times except when sleeping or while in the swimming pool. Would they follow such a dictat? My point being that as far as I am concerned, requiring forms of adornment -- hair styles, caps, icons, little swords, burkhas, etc. -- as a means of demonstrating one's religious affiliation or adherence to any belief system is incredibly superficial. One can be a devout Christian, an orthodox Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or whatever, without donning a goofy costume. Those who insist on wearing their beliefs on their sleeve, so to speak, are demonstrating mindless conformity and I don't think it's fair to call feeling wary or uncomfortable around them as constituting "prejudicial behavior." Furthermore such costumes do create disciplinary problems in such secular institutions as the military, public schools, etc., since the wearer effectively demands that the group defer to his or her belief system. First they go out of their way to look different and then they howl with protest when they're treated differently. Now that's really irrational behaviour in my book.
0
thedeath
if a government put a ban equally on "all" religion's symbol in public or where ever, i can see no problem since i don't have much interest in blindly believe on a symbol and donation scam so that i can go to heaven seeing some spiritual dude.
but support it or not it has to be depended on how the differences group of religion nut interacts with each other and the social they live in.
however if a government put a ban only for some particular group of legion. then i can say if for sure, i would never support it.
0
herefornow
womanforwomen -- let me get this straight. You walked out of a restaurant because some women had to manuever their food around their veils, which I guess you found unappealing. But I'll bet that you don't walk out of Italian restaurants here when J-guys slurp their pasta like they are eating ramen, or, even though they are eating with a fork and knife, pick up their plates and shovel the food into their mouths. So, being a sloopy eater is OK, so long as you're Japanese and doing it because you are simply ignorent and uncultured. But, it is offensive when it is done to yield to a religious belief? Do I have that right? My god, your and Beelzebub's intolerance is disgusting. No wonder you two feel so comfortable here. And, Beelzebub, are J-folks dressing up like clowns when they wear elaborate kimonos to attend traditional Shinto weddings? Isn't that "wearing their religion on their sleeve"?
0
illsayit
There seems to me that there is such a vast area of religious symbolism, be it worn or represented in some way. Id think it would be hard to define what is religious and what isnt. Next thing you know youll be wearing a triangle and they will say it is tri-fold. Or I guess you could call the insistence on hat wearing a symbol of racism. This just seems to me to lead to a decision on what is wanting to be banned, or dictating to be banned
0
womanforwomen
herefornow, I kind of think that it is fun to slurp. No problem with that and the picking up the plates to shove food into their mouth. I infact find it a very interesting way of eating. But with the two ladies with the veil eating that way, I think kit was empathy or something like that. They were struggling with the food. For me it was like, what are you doing, you are hungry and you want to have that food but due to some restrictions, you cannot eat that food peacefully. Do something about it. The feeling was like 'someone is struggling in front of you and you can do absultely nothing to help. How much ever I describe, you will not understand it; you have to experience it yourself. I will try again. I love wearing the head scarf and the made up head cover for muslims for the fun of it. But when I had to sit through business meetings in a country where it was mandatory to wear the head covering at all times from the time your flight lands at the airport, you can imagine how difficult it was.
0
Patrick Smash
All such items should be banned in schools. Schools are trying to teach children how to be part of the society that they live in. Wearing objects or clothing designed to go against that is not useful, and is being pushed by people with divisive issues. This actually goes beyond religious clothing. Kids should not turn up for school dressed as punks, skinheads, hoodies, mafiosa, fashion victims or whatever either.
0
Beelzebub
Herefornow, I choose to defend secularism over "diversity."
0
BurakuminDes
Women should never be covered up from head to toe in the name of religion. What sort of nutjobs would insist on that anyway? I believe in freedom of women more so than freedom of religion, and these women covered head to toe in burqas are certainly not free. A secular Muslim nation such as Turkey, where women dress in a western way, has things right.
Absolutely agree, Beelzebub. Wear these religious symbols like skullcaps, burqas, big crosses etc in your own house or place of worship (or religious school) ...not in public places.
0
zurcronium
That is rich. Organized religion, especially Christianity, has done more damage to society that good. Countless wars and persecution, fighting science, child molestation, homophobia, incredible corruption, massive explotation especially of women, and on and on. The cross is responsible for more deaths than the black plague. Perhaps a cross with a NOT symbol in front of it would be the most appropriate.
The cross really is a symbol of human weakness.
0
AK619
There's nothing wrong with religion, as long as it isn't forced upon someone to injury. Wearing religous cloths or items are peoples personal rights, as long as it dosen't hurt anyone.
I think people should have the right to believe what they want, and express themselves, as long as it dosen't hurt anyone or themselves. There should never be a government ban on religous cloths, nor should a government force religion upon a person. I think its OK for parents to teach there religous ideas to there children, but when the child becomes an adult, there free to practice any religion, or none at all which most don't.
0
TheQuestion
The human condition makes us a violent and illogical bunch by nature, take away one sedative and we will find another to latch onto and fight about and religion is merely one of the things we find appealing so we flock to it in order to give meaning to our lives. These items are used as a physical manifestaion of a person's internal beliefs and to supress that is just asking for problems.
I've read The God Delusion, Letter to a Christian Nation, and God: The Failed Hypothesis and agree that the belief in a supernatural being is illogical at best. Yet I remain a devout Catholic because I believe in the scriptures all the same.
zurcronium mentions some of the evils commited in the name of the christian faith but were those edicts of the scripture that the purpotrators used as justification of their actions? No, they elected to warp whatever religion they followed in order to give them just cause for whatever actions they took. Josef Mengele commited unspeakably evil acts in the name of science, Stalin did so in the name of the soviet society, Pol Pot in the name of restarting civilization, all monsterous all having different justifications.
I've personally never worn a cross or any religious paraphernalia but if a law was enacted banning such a practice I may just take it up.
0
tclh
As long as I can see your face I don't care what you wear. Ban burqas only.
0
mechadamuramu
I don't support the ban because its a ban on religious freedom of expression. I do however feel that temporary identification should be mandatory, so a drivers license must have your full uncovered face, i.e. not a burqa that completely obscures your features. Covering people excessively hinders law enforcement, and public safety is the only thing that should be given weight when debating personal religious preferences.
0
Damien15
I'm from one of those countries and support the ban 100%. Don't want to see burqas, veils even headscarfs on women. Just because it's based on thinking that seeing woman without a burqa or headscarf can turn a man on. Are we living in this kind of world? Where man can be turned on by seeing woman's hair or face? If we let some women cover by burqa or veil, the ones doesn't cover those parts will look like they are asking for it, or simply advertising their beauty. Woman should be free of this pressure inflicted to them by man.
0
JenniferKim
Religious clothing and jewelry should not be banned unless there is a clear, pressing public need to do so. For instance, if a woman wears a burqa and it's thus impossible to identify her on a driver's license or other form of ID. Only in such cases should a person be told that they have to TEMPORARILY remove the clothing or jewelry.
0
Nessie
I think people of religious faiths should be allowed to cover themselves as long as it doesn't hide their identify. Full-body plastic wrap would be an excellent compromise.
0
womanforwomen
Nessie...............
0
farhaan
Damien15
womanforwomen
tclh
Of course people like you and whoever supports the ban is Anti-Islam.
I am male and I wear Islamic dress with Muslim cap atleast once in a Month (Fridays) in Japan. Nobody has stopped me nor opposed it and nobody can.
0
womanforwomen
Good for you Farhaan. Please wear it 'atleast once in a month';but try not to force the others to do it.To live a righteous life, just taking care of the clothes is not sufficient. It is evident from the kind of life one lives.I mean any religion for that matter. So anti-islam means I am your enemy right? Isn't that how you think? It would be nice if the women willingly wore that dress and not forced to wear it.
0
tclh
farhaan, I am anti- burquas. Is it your logic that anti burqas is anti -Islam? 99% plus of Islamic women I saw on streets of Sydney do not wear burqas, so... what are they?
0
farhaan
womanforwomen, tclh
Almost all the non-Muslims like you misunderstand about the Burqa. you just think it is bad but never try to find why it is there. If non-Muslims know about the meaning of Burqa/veil, their opinion about it will be differnt. Burqa is not Islamic tradition but a part of Islam and its rules and there is a very deep reason about women to cover herself in Islam which I can't expain here. One can't and nobody does force a Muslim women to wear Burqa but advice her to follow this Islamic rule same as like advicing a Muslim to pray 5 times a day if someone don't do it. The Muslim women who don't wear Burqa means she is not religious and Muslims don't consider her as a good Muslim, and religious Muslims feel bad about them. And women who wear burqa is just following her religion with her own choice as a good Muslim but nobody force her to do so. Every Muslim women knows why it is important for women.
0
DXXJP
So when are these countries going de-robe the priest???. I know why muslum women wear the abaiya,veil, and burka, and they should be allowed. Just like anybody else is allowed to wear what they choose.
How about at the next klan rally they meet without the sheet.....
0
Triple888
I support the ban of clothing that would segregate peoples in classrooms. That's the very reason for school 'uniforms' - to unify people of all backgrounds and races in education.
0
Brainiac
It must be particularly hard for children when they get teased or bullied because of some religious artifact or article of clothing they are wearing. In Sydney, where I grew up, there were countless cases of bullying at school, in which Muslim children had their scarves forcibly removed by bullies. More recently, in Melbourne, there have been a series of attacks on Indian students. Sikhs have had their turbans yanked off.
Intolerance, fueled by ignorance and fear, seems to be getting worse in many Western societies. I can't speak for Islamic countries, not having lived there, but the results in places like Sydney, at least, are that the various ethnic and religious groups end up having their own schools, gyms, etc, in their own enclaves, which perpetuates the hostility.
0
Damien15
Farhaan, the only reason women are made to ware burqas and veils is to prevent man from feeling the attraction. Can you tell me any other reason? And I am not offended if you call me anti-islam. I am anti-religion! Ware your cap or whatever, but don't ask woman to cover their hair, just because you it may turn you on.
0
Davin
I am an Agnostic, but believe that everyone should be allowed to wear whatever they please, whenever and wherever they please! Ban this, ban that,where will it stop?
0
tokyokawasaki
I think all forms of religion should be treated like cigarettes and alcohol (Make it illegal until the child is old enough to decide for themselves).
Then the problem will disappear within a couple of generations. Because no sane rationale thinking adult could fall for such a load of fairy-tales & genuine BS.
Then, the need for banning certain types of delusional clothing will vanish :)
0
TheQuestion
Actually those are because the lungs and liver don't develop until later in life generally speaking children normally asertain wheter or not they are of the religious persuasion by the time they are finished developing in childhood.
I belive Aleister Crowley said it best, “Intolerance is evidence of impotence.”
0
Damien15
I think this also has to do bit with what country you live in. If it's US, surely all should be free to wear that they want to. But if it's a country like Turkey, which has been fighting protect secularism, it make sense to ban religious veils and headscarfs for women in schools and government buildings.
0
1524midlo
OK to ban at schools, as part of enforcing a school uniform policy (not targeted at religious clothing)
Otherwise -- not OK and a bad idea, for lots of reasons
0
knews
I'm with you tokyokawasaki. Look at the problems religions cause...including this one! How dare people decide their children are (or are going to be) Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or Christian before the children know what it means. Strict rules about what one can wear and what one can eat are also ridiculous if penalties can include physical abuse. Long live cool biz and I hope there'll be a version of this for religions too someday! I think people should do their best not to wear anything that tells others in a sort of strong way his or her religion (or nationality for that matter. Little flags on lapels also irritate me.....)
0
TheQuestion
So we should all live in shame of everything that makes us individuals? No, not for a second.
0
knews
TheQuestion
One could argue that it is the idea of NOT wearing such things that makes us individuals, no?
0
Beelzebub
...the Swiss association ProBasket said Thursday (Aug. 20) it follows the rules of world governing body FIBA, which state that the sport has to be neutral, forbidding any religious symbols and headcovers.
"If basketball is priority No. 1, international rules have to be respected," ProBasket said according to a report by Swiss daily Neue Luzerner Zeitung. "If religion is priority No. 1, then you cannot play basketball."
0
TheQuestion
True enough, but if a person is to be permitted to be an individual internally why not allow them to express themselves externally? I don't personally wear any items of religious or national pride, however I am of the opinion that any person that would like to do so should have the option. Any person that is offended by a another merely being themselve (so long as the person is not of purely antagonistic intent) that person should take a while to think about why they feel offended before striking out.
In addition, anything can become a symbol or a substitute for one if the preferred is banned or otherwise rendered unusable. The only thing regulations like this create is resentment and anger. There are many a decent and law abiding people that could become anything but if their way of life is threatened (that could entail anything from clothing to eating habits).
0
tokyokawasaki
I say BS to that... It's usually down to the parents. i.e whether or not the parents decide to brainwash their children. How many children would turn out delusional if they were left to grow up in an environment without any exposure to fairy-tales?
0
TheQuestion
Depends on your take on delusional, I could say a man that believes that random carbon atoms suddenly decided to form bacteria delusional. But thats a matter of perspective. And anyway my parents were agnostic but in my twenties I entered the Catholic church and mass puts me at peace, I've never felt the need to project my ideals on anyone and I tend to ignore those that attempt to project on me. But like I said, its a matter of perspective.
And on a personal note I was never really into fairy-tales as a kid, I was raised on Aesop's Fables because they made you think and build moral character.
0
knews
The Question
Exactly that. Because it is what we do internally that makes us individuals. The external bits that you are talking about just make people show that they are part of a group.
0
ComradeRuskie
TokyoKawasaki, I do not really understand what you mean by brain washing.
Kids are not only influenced by their parents, in a multicultural country as soon as a child goes to a day care/school they begin to see different point of views than what they expirenced before. It might be Christianity at home, different beliefs in schools, and other influences in different places that the child goes to. In the end, when they are teens they will be able to see and compare and think for them selves.
I would not know for other religions but in Christianity, more than 60% of youth leave church when the graduate from high school, so much for brain washing.
As for the actual question, I do not support the ban. Let people wear what they want as long as they are not harming other people.
0
TheQuestion
Pfft, following that logic we should all just wear grey fatigues and black boots because we are all unique on the inside. No matter what you are probably going to be in some sort of group because lets face it, if no two people thought roughly the same way we wouldn't have a society so why not let people decide who they want to dress like on their own terms. Whether that may entail dressing like some of the androgenous punks that float around my neighborhood, maybe wearing a parents cross, or having those ring gauges inserted into your ears (if your into that sort of thing) it should always be a persons right to express themself so long as they don't infringe upon the rights of others.
0
UnagiDon
TheQuestion;
I would agree that such a person is delusional, or at least ignorant of molecular biology. Perhaps you can provide more details on what sort of person believes that "random carbon atoms suddenly decided to form bacteria"?
0
TheQuestion
I would like to reiterate my point that people are very spiritual and habit forming creatures, to threaten both their spiritual individuality and their habits at the same time is a recipe for a riot in most heterogenious countries. If the metaphysical conscience of a person demands they were a gold neckless that looks like a t or a funny hat than let them wear hats!"
0
gogogo
Where is the "I don't live in that country so it doesn't concern me" option?
Back to top