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OCTOBER 11, 2017
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EACH WEEK THE PENDULUM OEBRIEES GLOBAL EVENTS BY INTERVIEWING COMMUNITY SOURCES
Australia’s controversial burqa ban debate explained
Ariela Marcus-Sells, assistant
protessor ot religious studies,
explains Australia’s burqa ban
Ariana Reyes
Contributor | @elonnewsnetwork
The burqa, a
garment worn
by some wom
en practicing
the Islamic
faith has been
banned in 13
nations around
the world.
Australia is in
the midst of a
debate about
whether to become the 14th na
tion to ban the wearing of the bur
qa in public spaces.
Ariela
Marcus-Sells
Q; What is the significance
of the burqa?
A: There is often some confusion
about “the burqa.” A burqa is a
one-piece robe with a mesh face
plate that originates in the moun
tains between Afghanistan and
Pakistan — only women from this
region wear this particular item
of clothing. A generic face-veil is
called a “niqab” and is often warn
with a black robe called an “abaya”
and a headscarf called a “hijab.”
An Afghan woman
wearing a burqa
stands in street in
Kabul, Afghanistan.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
yet — is that it would ban all full-
face coverings in public spaces.
The rationale presented for the
bill is that not being able to see
peoples faces presents “a security
threat.”
Q; Do you think similar
bans might happen in oth
er countries?
Q: Do you think it is right to
ban the burqa — not only
in Australia, but also in
different countries where
this is happening? ..
from that fear. Features of Islam-
ophobia include the belief that Is
lam is, by definition, separate and
“other,” and that a Muslim identity
is therefore incompatible with be
longing to a Western nation state.
Islamophobic narratives present
Islam as a threat and Muslims as
manipulative in order to justi
fy racist discrimination against
them.
A: The law under debate in Aus
tralia is Islamophobic because it
presents the clothing choices made
by Muslims as a security threat in
order to justify racist discrimina
tion against Muslim women.
A: My understanding of the bill
being debated in Australia — I ha
ven’t heard of a law being passed
A: These bills are manifestations
of Islamophobia, the hatred and
fear of Islam, Muslims and the dis
criminatory practices that result
Q: What do you think, the
burqa ban does to the reli
gion of Islam and Muslim
women?
Q; Considering the burqa is
such an important aspect of
Islam and considering that
many 2ist century women
see this as, ^^Oppression to
women, ” how do you think
Muslim women feel about
the burqa ban?
A: The burqa is not an import
ant part of Islam — it is a piece
of clothing with cultural and reli
gious significance for some wom
en. Different Muslim women will
have different opinions about
such a ban. Many Muslim wom
en do object to veils of various
kinds, others choose to wear veils
for a variety of reasons — some
cultural, some personal, some
political and some religious. My
opinion is that stripping wom
en of their right to dress as they
choose is unjustifiable under any
circumstances, and stripping only
Muslim women of that right is
simply racism.
Crime rates decline, students applaud campus safety and police
Lower crime rates as a result
of campus safety and police
community involvement
Maggie Brown
Assistant News Editor | @m3ggieAbrown_
The 2016 annual crime and fire report
showed that in the past three years, campus
crimes have been dropping.
Crime has been decreas-
.i ing as the police force has
; grown larger in the past few
DECREASE years. Currently, there are
Since 20i4, . more polices on campus
there have there are in the town of
beenno
a'Sted ^ Since 2014. there have
assault and been no reports of aggravat-
a 55 percent assault and a 55 percent
decrease in decrease in liquor law vio-
liquor law lations. Franks claims that
violations. because there have been
more interactions between
students and officers, there is less crime.
“It’s all about partnership. No successful
police department is standoff-ish in their
community,” said Dennis Franks, director
of Campus Safety and Police. By joining in
with students and faculty at College Coffee,
attending floor meetings in residence halls
and hosting Coffee with a Cop, campus police
have found more ways to get involved with
the students.
Campus police said the most crime they
see is liquor law violations. But students such
as Elon University freshman Adam Behrman
said the police are always there to help.
“I have always seen police cars around at
unsafe times,” Behrman said. “I’ve seen the
blue lights everywhere on campus. I’ve nev
er felt like I’m in a situation where I could be
harmed and not have help.”
Officer Cory Ray, who has been with the
Campus police since 1996, watched the police
force grow.
Ray agrees that a more personable police
caused the decrease in students violating the
law. As the school has developed, crime has
not increased.
Franks pushes his officers to be more ac
tive on campus, talking to students and not
just patrolling in cars. He likes to see his po
lice force on bikes and on foot.
“It’s those one-ori-one conversations you
remember versus, ‘I saw the police drive by
vyith the window rolled up,”’ Franks said. “It’s
abbuti ‘1 saw the officer stop and say, hey, how
are things going today.’ That is more impact
ful. I think it helps people realize the police
arfe just people, too, and that it’s a partnership.
We have to work together to keep our com
munity safe.”
Franks said with more officers partici
pating in community events, he has seen the
crime rate drop. He believes this involvement
is the most important part in reducing crime
in a community.
Freshman Abby Shutzberg said, “There
is always a number I can call so I feel safe.
It makes me feel better about going places
alone. Campus police is always apparent, very
present, easily accessible and involved in stu
dent life.”
Traditionally, parents and students have
felt safe on Elon’s campus.
“I’ve never felt threated or unsafe on this
campus. Even when we came on campus a
year ago I felt safe, and the fact that campus
is even safer is reassuring,” said sophomore
Nicole Kister.
Mike and Pam Bruno, parents of freshman
William Bruno, felt that even amidst the crisis
going on in the world, their son is safe at Elon.
LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS
520
300 400 500 6oo
“I think people feel less safe now be
cause of what is going on the world,” Pam
Bruno said. “With people in big places,
[parents] may tend to feel frightened by it.
Terrorist threats and crazy kids doing ran
dom acts of violence.”
“With all of the safeguards Elon provides,
the safety factor doesn’t even enter my mind,”
Bruno said.
Campus police are present to do more than
just policing. Programs such as Operation ID
represent campus police as a force that is one
with the community and students.
“Our objective is to create and maintain a
safe environment for students, employees and
visitors,” Franks said. “We focus on talking to
the community and being a part in the com
munity. Without the community, we are not
successful.”
Sdl)RCE:2016ANNUALCRIME ANDHREREPORT
■ lEAHKAUAM I DESIGNER
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THERE ISALWAYS A NUMBER I
CAN CAEESOIEEEESAEE. IT MAKES
ME EEEEBETEER ABOUT GOING
PEACES ATONE. CAMPUS POEICE
IS AEWAYS APPARENT, VERY
PRESENT, EASIEYACCESSIBEEAND
INVOEVEO IN STUDENT EIEE.”
ABBY SHUTZBERG
FRESHMAN