[Video] The burqa is not a piece of cloth

In October this year, I spoke on a panel at the Battle of Ideas festival on the pros and cons of burqa bans — making the feminist case for a ban. I’ve previously shared the text of my contribution, now you can watch the video of my speech and the full panel and Q&A. This is such an important conversation to have. We shouldn’t shy away from debating questions like this openly — especially when they touch on women’s rights, secularism and democratic values.

Feel free to share this with others to help open up the space for discussion.

The problem is not muslim presence, but female absence. The objection is feminism. And the debate is between those who see women as full citizens and those who don’t.

Please also listen to the contributions of the other speakers, who made valuable points worth considering — even if I disagree that those arguments are strong enough to justify leaving women subjugated to this coercive practice.

Inputs from all speakers:

Audience Q&A:

Battle of Ideas continues to be one of the most stimulating spaces for open debate and proper disagreement, a rare thing these days. The next festival will take place 17 & 18 October 2026, and I highly recommend marking your calendar!