Hefty Bill for Muslim Womens Privacy at Public Swimming Pool

HEFTY BILL FOR MUSLIM WOMENS PRIVACY AT PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL

1. The reasons why local and state governments are supporting the changes to the pool due to cultural reasons are that women of certain religions were unable to use the pool in certain hours due to cultural and religious reasons. Another reason was that the classes would help address issues such as obesity and also social isolation.
2. This argument that immigrants should adapt to our ways is valid in some aspects but others, not so much. It could be seen as unfair that most other Australians are made to pay for a service that they are unable to use. British colonials didn’t adapt to how the aboriginals were living because at that point in time, the settlers were more advanced making them more able to build a country than the aborigines were.
3. I believe that it is not reasonable at all and utterly unfair that taxpayers should have to pay for something that a minor group of society will use. In this case I believe it is majority rules, because these people should be accepting of our culture and we shouldn’t need to be paying for something which won’t affect anyone but Muslim women, who are a small minority of society.
4. Merits of the burkini are that they are still culturally accepting with the traditional practices of Islam. It is also cost effective as ratepayers would not need to pay for a service that they don’t need. Whereas the swimming pool curtain would be considered a waste of money as there is a perfectly good alternative which would see a massive saving in rate payers money.
5.  Both the burkini AND the swimming pool curtain would allow equal participation. But the burkini is, in most aspects, more practical as it is not ratepayer funded and all people can enjoy being at the pool even when Muslim women are wearing it.
6. There should be exemptions from equal opportunity laws as it allows for people to practice their religion and not be breaking the law in doing so, and as we live in such a multi-cultural society here in Australia, people should be exempt from these laws.
7. The compromise counters arguments that those in the Islamic community ‘should change to our ways’, which are flawed from the perspective of the ethical principles of a multi faith and multicultural society, It also shows what happens to the ethical structure of a religious tradition when laws with higher status are imposed upon its adherents by the Australian Government, the legal system and the established mores and norms of Australian society.

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