The burka, for most of those wearers I've encountered, is a bit like Christmas - it's long since lost its religious meaning. To them it's simply a comfortable, practical garment. I can understand that they like it. I like jeans. They think my jeans are uncomfortable and far from practical. I, on the other hand, think otherwise and woe betide anyone who tries to ban a piece of clothing I've grown up with and wear on a daily basis. On the question of identification, I've already said that I have no problem with the burka. I prefer to 'see' the person rather than their clothing. We are all unik and every person will have some permanent, distinguishing features, unlike clothing which can be changed 50 times a day, if wished, and is mass produced in numerous identical examples. I can see that identification on a still photograph may be made difficult by the burka but it's also made difficult by hoodies, balaclavas, good old fashioned 'mufflers', turned up coat collars, make-up, masks and stockings over the head. Should we ban all of these as well? The kirpan is interesting. On a recent visit to India I saw thousands of sikhs but not one kirpan. Nowadays it's mostly a symbolic ornament in the form of a small brooch. However, that's not because it's been banned. The sikh population over time has simply discovered that the real thing is cumbersome and no longer serves its purpose. Give it a generation or so and I'm sure the burka will go the same way.