Saturday, May 05, 2007

The Multicultural News From Århus

Burkårhus

Here’s my translation of an article from today’s edition of the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet:

Burka precludes cash benefits in Århus

Women wearing burkas are not considered available for the jobs market, says Århus councilman

Women who wear the burka will exclude themselves from receiving cash benefits in Århus.

So says the town councillar for employment, Gert Bjerregaard (V) [V=Venstre, the ruling political party — BB] to Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten.

In order to receive cash benefits, one must be available for the jobs market. However, someone who goes about in a burka makes herself unavailable. Nor will the Århus local authority make local jobs available for burka-wearing women, says the councillor. Even so, the Århus local authority has not declared that it will take existing cash benefits from women on the grounds of wearing such clothing, he declares.

“Somene who has chosen this garment has closed many doors for herself, in terms of obtaining employment. She sends a clear signal that she is not in the Danish jobs market, and it is important for me to stay firm, to choose to stand firm on this, that she cannot then receive cash benefits from the Århus local authority,” says Gert Bjerregaard.


Hat tip: Pulfine.


[Nothing follows.]

5 comments:

History Snark said...

Hmmmm. Seems a tad extreme to me, though I'm not fan of the Burka.

History Snark said...

I guess that should be either "no fan of the Biurka" or "not a fan of..."

Anonymous said...

This is a follow up on a woman who complained that she could not be hired as a caretaker of children by the city of Odense, because she wore burka. Officials said that when you are taking care of other people's children they need to see the face of the caretaker, since children learn from watching the facial expression of adults.

It is also a remark on Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, who has been jumping from Socialdemokratiet (labour party) to Enhedslisten (old communists) with the sole purpose of flashing a viel in parliament. She has had absolutely nothing to say about any political matters at all, it has all been about her right to be veiled in parliament.

When all comes to all I think that there is a very, very few women in Denmark that actually wears a burka, so this statement will have no real practical use - but some symbolic value.

History Snark said...

Well I can certainly understand a child-caretaker needing to show her face. Leaving aside the issue Pulfine made, I would never trust children to someone who wouldn't show me her face.

But I'm still not completely comfortable with the idea as a whole.

Anonymous said...

I dont see how it is extreme. These are cash benifits that you only get if you actively look for work.

Anyone who shows up to a job interwiev in a burka is clearly not looking for a job.

gun-totin-wacko, have you considered that someone might use a burka to awoid getting hired ?