Erbe: To stop suicide bombers, ban the burqa

Female suicide bombers are nothing new. They first came under the scrutiny of scholars as rarities some 20 years ago, and their profiles rose during the Chechen conflict of the last decade. But more recently, this week in fact, dozens of people were killed in Iraq by a female suicide bomber in northeastern Baghdad.

This bombing was timed to coincide with a Shia pilgrimage for the Islamic holiday, Arbaen, marking the end of 40 days of mourning for the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

I have written about female Middle Eastern and North African immigrants who immigrate to the United States and continue to dress in the body-covering garb of their homeland. France is in the midst of a major legislative debate over whether and when to ban the burqa, the full-body covering, some of which don't even allow the woman's eyes to show. As female suicide bombings increase in Iraq, Europe and elsewhere, we would be wise to follow France's suit and begin a similar debate here.

My anti-burqa stance is founded primarily on cultural grounds. Generations of American women fought for the right to vote, to own property (and not to be treated under the law as someone else's property), for equal pay and so on. Every time I observe a woman in my neighborhood in full body garb (note: they do not usually cover their faces or hands, but the rest of their bodies are covered) it feels like a gut-punch to the history of women's hard-won advancement here in the United States.

I am a strong supporter of First Amendment rights, freedom of religion and freedom of expression, especially. And I know well the arguments on the other side. Some Muslims say burqas are not an Islamic tradition, but a geographic one - more influenced by a woman's country of origin than by her religion. On the other hand, some Islamic burqa-bearing women themselves say they feel liberated when they cover up. Both claims fly in the face of American reality. My fear is their desire to cover up is setting American women back, as if all of us want to revert to the era when women were chattel.

But now there's an even more persuasive reason to consider a burqa ban, or at least of burqas in public areas or on public transit. Delia Lloyd at politicsdaily.com reports:

"According to an article in London's Daily Telegraph, new intelligence suggests the women are being trained by the very same Yemeni group that was behind the Christmas Day bomb plot. Crucially, these female bombers are expected to "dress Western" and may be carrying Western passports."

It's interesting to note the terrorists training female suicide bombers are teaching them to "dress western." But the fact is, it will be much easier to detect explosives (which still require a fair amount of room to create enough of an explosion to destroy a large area) in clingy, western garb than it would if the woman were wearing a burqa or niqab or any other garment that covers a large portion of her body. This tactic may distract attention from female suicide bombers for a while, but it won't work over the long haul.

By the way, our homeland security protections should be gender-neutral. All men wearing body-covering gear should be checked just as closely as women. But we need to be on our guard especially against women in extensive covering. What will be next from these terrorists? Suicide bombs on children? Perish the thought.

Bonnie Erbe is a TV host and writes this column for Scripps Howard News Service. E-mail bonnieerbe@CompuServe.com.