What Someone Wears Is None of Your Business

Someone sent me an anti-burka message recently. It got me thinking, not just about the burka, but about how often this sort of thing isn’t really about clothing at all. It’s about control.

Let’s be honest. Most people who complain about the burka aren’t genuinely worried about fabric or face coverings. They’re uncomfortable seeing something that clearly represents Islam. That’s the issue. Not the garment itself, but what it symbolises. You don’t hear the same outrage about face masks, scarves in winter or lads in balaclavas. So why the burka?

If we say we care about personal freedom, then that should include the freedom to dress how you like. Whether someone wears a hoodie, a mini skirt, a suit, a sari or a burka, that’s their business. You don’t have to like it. That’s kind of the point. Freedom doesn’t mean “as long as it looks how I’d choose.”

Some people say the burka is oppressive. And yes, in some cases, women are pressured or forced to dress a certain way. That happens. But let’s not pretend it only happens in Muslim communities. Women everywhere are told to show more, show less, wear makeup, act confident but not too confident. If we really care about women’s freedom, then we need to start by listening to women. What they say they want. How they choose to express themselves. Telling someone what they’re allowed to wear “for their own good” isn’t liberation. It’s just another way of taking away choice.

The truth is, many women who wear the burka have made that choice themselves. They might feel connected to their faith, or to tradition, or they just prefer modesty. You don’t have to understand it to respect it. That’s what freedom means. It’s standing up for someone’s right to be different from you.

So yes. Let people wear what they want. And if that makes you uncomfortable, maybe ask yourself why.