While I am not in favour of women being made to wear restrictive, all enveloping clothing that covers their faces I can't say I agree with Nicholas Sarkozy and his desire to ban the burkha.

In a free society men and women should be able to choose whatever they want to wear however bonkers or impractical that might be.

If he argues that the item was thought up by men as a way to opress women, banning it won't change men's attitude. And if the burkha means women are allowed to leave the house at all - then it must be a good thing.

Would Sarkozy, who himself is Jewish, one day decide he didn't like tzit tzit or that he disagreed with ultra-Orthodox Jewish women wearing the sheitel. After all, he might say, it restricts them being able to literally let their hair down.

In fact I wonder how he would feel if someone decided to ban stacked heels and shoe lifts for short men on account of them being demeaning to other short people. Perhaps then, the shoe would be on the other foot.