UK - Christianity declining, Atheism rising, but so is Islam...

[Ben Davis]

You have no idea how much women suffer from their men forcing them to wear this shit, even when it's fucking hot in the summer.

You're both right & wrong here: I have no direct experience of this as I'm neither a woman nor a muslim however I support women in their fight for equal rights and fight on their side when called on. Consequently I know people, personally, who've suffered islam-based sexism. I'm of the opinion I have a very good idea of the suffering caused by the imposition of dress codes on women. I fail to see how the French imposition of a dress code is meant to feel any better for the women who are looking to free themselves from the imposition of dress codes.

They are helpless and they need an outside intervention by the name of human rights and mercy .

Once again, both right & wrong: Some women are so subject to men that they require intervention, both legal and social, to reintegrate them in to society. No one should be denied access to that level of protection and it's right that such recourse exists. However 'women' aren't necessarily helpless. Many are both willing and able to fight against the patriarchy and sexism inherent in islamic (and associated) cultures. In the UK, the majority of muslim women are carrying the fight forward, to a lesser or greater extent, and need very little in the way of intervention to be effective. That said, people who care about sexual equality, whatever their sex, ethnicity, identity or creed, should be prepared to offer whatever help is needed whenever it's needed.

1. yes, if what they want to wear is a stupid dress that doesn't reveal their identity and treats women like garbage bags

I agree however legislating in favour of 'government approved' dress codes doesn't demonstrate that dress codes are bad, just that 'someone else's' dress codes are bad. How long have mulsim women been hearing this? Two wrongs don't make a right; the French Gov should have been smarter and sent a different message.

2. no, it does; It shows them that there are other opinions out there and their ideas are stupid.

In the UK, muslim women have been successfully fighting islam-based sexism by confronting the root-causes: the gender stereotypes which create social gender-bias. It's been demonstrated to be a highly effective mechanism, changing the general behaviour of muslims, in the majority, in favour of egalitarian principles within a generation. This mechanism avoids the risk of marginalisation of muslims by helping them to fight their own battles.

3. no one is telling them what to wear; Just a certain stupid dress is not allowed.

"No-one's telling them what to wear, just what not to wear." Do you honestly not see that's exactly the same thing? It's the message "Because you're women, the following clothes are allowed..." that must be opposed, whether it stems from islam-based sexism or Governmental authority.