Why the world community tolerates this kind of behavior without concise, immediate action is beyond me.
These people need to be taken out of the picture so the rest of us can get along with our lives in relative peace.

Nikolai, Lutsk, Ukraine

ALL relegion should be banned, only fair and karma.

Paul Gray, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey./UK

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do"

I think you forgot the part where it says "...or they'll kill you"

This is not an instance of willing conformity; it's an instance of extortion and murder. There is no justification for this sort of treatment for anyone. By demanding what these women wear, this man was in a sense putting himself in the place of God, which would be a form of blasphemy, and should be stoned.

Sam, Houston, TX

They deserved Sadaam.

Mike, Escondido, CA

Farhan, Riyadh-

when you say forcefully banned, do you mean people wearing the hijab are gunned down, throats slit or perhaps both?

personally, at first glance this bothers me. realistically, does it really affect me? religion is merely a tool for enforcing culture's mores and if that culture wants to deal out death for not wearing a piece of cloth on their head, so be it. perhaps in a couple of hundred years they'll emerge from some sort of cultural revolution and join modernity. they probably enjoy things like the light-bulb, satellite tv, telecommunications, etc. just a matter of time before the light-bulb in their heads turn on... correct me if i'm wrong, but none of those things were developed in afghanistan, iraq, saudi arabia, etc.

at any rate, farhan, perhaps if you would have been born in china you would have been supporting the suppression of religious citizens?

Leon, madison, wi

Well, obviously the Western world agree that totalitarian- inclined cultures like those in Iraq & Iran are a good idea. The proof of this is that the West (and the Israeli left) is hell-bent on creating a new, independant Iraq/Iran like country on Israel's borders, namely the new Palestine or Hamastan, or whatever you want to call it. What type of conduct do they think there will be in such a country? Freedom of belief? Equal rights for women? Will non-observation of dress codes be judged in a court of law or by a pistol in the street? And the main thing: of course it will be a peaceful country...the residents of the new Palestine that will take control of the Samarean high ground will then be able to look down at Tel Aviv on the coast and shoot flowers and messages of We Love You ...

Avraham Makeler, Rehovot, Israel

These thugs must be brought to justice and locked-up.

R Singh, London,

How about a Gandhi-style non-violent protest, Iraq? There must be enough moderate, reasonable people who just want the freedom to live their lives in peace?

It's all too easy to criticise Bush and Blair, because we don't know what would be happening in Iraq today if we hadn't intervened.

There must be something we can do to make it harder for these militias to get arms. The cost to our industry/economy should not be an issue - civilians' lives are at stake.

Sam, N Wales,

So - fight back against the oppressive thugs! Freedom isn't given.

Mike, Edmonton, Canada

Would you judge a religion of 2 billion people with just a meagre amount? doing it their own way and not the majority way

Lawal, Helsinki, Finland

So British troops have overseen implementation of oppression and brutality. Well done Blair and Brown. Shame on the lot of you
Is that 'multi culturalism' at its logical end?

Pip, Witney, UK

Stuart (little brain) Yep it's for oil. What better reason than the sole resource needed for virtually every aspect of modern life. Everything is made of plastic or shipped by an oil burning form of transportation or both. Go live in a cave or die there with out oil.

Herman, Smalltown, USA

What else would you expect from the religion of peace?

John K, Burlington, MA, USA

Fascists

Any other word too describe it? Ban the Hijab in the UK.

Keith, UK, UK

"I Campbell" - How do you think Saddam kept the thugs at bay? He was an even bigger thug. When the state sponsors your kidnapping, torturing, raping, and mass-executions, the thugs usually stay out of your way.

Isaak Mahdi, Detroit, MI - USA

I knew it would all end in tears the day I heard that 'our Iraqi brothers' had just overthrown Saddam and then promptly looted their national museum and their hospitals.

Rob Harris, Wellington, New Zealand

Mohammed had a sword. Jesus and Buddha did not. Period.

GK, Calgary, Canada

Western nations must withdraw support from intolerant muslim ones such as Saudi Arabia, where all religions are banned save Islam, and Iran and any Iraqi supporters until women and other religions are respected and those folks not murdered over a headscarf. Boycott mid-east oil!

Prof.H.mcCaffrey, Atlantic City, NJ, USA

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

Sam Reynolds, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

now that they don't have a dictatorial and opressive regime to enforce violent sanction against them, they quickly return to type.

simon, sydney, oz

Bilal, the Kurds have always been a minority in Iraq... Did they get equal rights under Saddam's regime?

Did the massacred Shia muslims in the south have equal rights?

Full political participation at the national level was restricted only to members of the Arab Ba'ath Party, which constituted only 8% of the population. Therefore, it was impossible for Iraqi citizens to change their government.

Sounds like equal rights to me...

Isaak Mahdi, Detroit, MI - USA

I had a long chat with an Afghan born waiter yesterday. He spent half his life in Afghanistan, some more in Pakistan, and now in the UK. Asking him what he likes about the UK, he said 'Open minds'. In Afghanistan, the religeons didn't let us have an opinion, it's like mind control. But here I'm among open minded people.'

Relating this to Basra, this isn't about religeon. It's about political forces using gangs dressed in religeous clothes using mind control to extend and protect their baleful influences, and about oil. Follow the money. It probably is Iranian driven - that regime seem very good at all this.

Chris Clark, Ruislip Manor, United Kingdom

Christians should be thankful. It was those Christian liberators Bush and Blair, that got rid of Saddam wasn't it?

Under President Saddam, Christians and other minorities had equal rights in a secular system. I was fortunate enough to witness this in 2000, even though the West was slowly killing Iraq under the murderous American sanctions regime. Now Iraq is under the control of religious parties.

You've made your bed. Now lie in it.

Bilal Patel, London,

All we hear lately is how people in Muslim nations are forced to do what they are told, or they face death.

A great deal of young Muslims in Britain believe that a Muslim converting to Christianity should be killed. I have noted that it is the YOUNG who are more violent in this way, just as youth is becoming more violent the world over.

I won't be surprised if within a few years we have Muslim extremists forcing the entire British population of women to cover up or find themselves dead. We certainly seem to have turned our back on Christ, and we seem happy to accept anything as long as it isn't Christian. I just hope that we are happy with the end result...

Chris, UK,

There is hardly a remedy to this kind of authoritarianism other than people who would be normally not the aggressors to stand tall, find courage, and start eliminating these types (and I don't mean getting them jailed). Make them afraid to do the things they do.

They never expect it coming, ever. They are the bad ones and they are unaccustomed to people fighting back.

A determined life lived in fear is worse than not living at all. Trust that god is on your side, and kill those rats. Or keep extremely quiet about it. Identify all of them, infiltrate their circles, then report them to our military. Don't necessarily trust the police.

There needs to be some Arab men who shall take this courageous role and win real freedom for their peoples from those who would kill women for reasons of dress.

Mike Hullaward, Cincinatti, U.S.A

I just laugh at the people who read this article and then start throwing darts at Bush and Blair, claiming blindly that this is somehow related to "neocon" politics (usually without really understanding neo-conservative politics). Regardless of foreign political/military intervention, the Islamic world has an alarming overabundance of similar atrocities carried out for reasons of so-called religious piety.

The point we should all take away from the article is that something needs to be done with respect to ALL religious extremism, especially when it results in physical intimidation, personal injury, or death.

Muslims everywhere (yes, I am one as well) need to wake up and speak out against what is being done in the name of this religion.

Were heinous crimes against humanity being carried out for religious reasons before Saddam was in power? Yes.

...And while he was in power? Yes.

...And 50 years from now? Of course.

Stop blaming external actors for the crimes of others.

Isaak Mahdi, Detroit, MI - USA

SC, your comment reveals a great lack of education... What is different in this scenario from Saddam's rule? Answer: the excuse given for those hurt of killed. Islam or state security, both have been "reasons" for Iraqi deaths and deaths of foreign nationals.

Nothing has truly changed, except that Iraqis are still too frightened to stand up for themselves. Too scared (or worse, uncaring) to strike out in defense of their neighbor.

Pathetic.

3rd Officer AC, Ocean, USA

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

Islam in 2007 = Christianity in 1400.

mark, belfast,

Only one man knew how to keep these thugs in check, and we had him killed. I hope we've learned our lesson: western style "democracy" cannot simply be exported and that interference in the running of other countries brings few, if any, positive results. This mess we have created is about money and oil, no more. Look at what we have done.

I Campbell, Southampton, UK

Gee some religion of peace huh? They sounds so warm a fuzzy.

Shannon, McGuire AFB, NJ

Sir,
Well done Mr Bush and the Neo-Cons for breaking Saddam's SECULAR Iraq.

SC, London, United Kingdom

When it is forcefully banned in the schools in many countries of the world it is law!

Farhan, Riyadh,

Tony,Gordon,George this is what faliure looks like and these are the consequences,born not by you but the poor people who are subject tothe religious zelots that now creep from under the bomb damage.
While these evil people patrol Basra and our troops in a political funk hide in there base, the British Army (lead as usual by political donkeys) can consider themselves defeated.

robert everitt, wolverhampton,

Ahh, the religion of peace.

MIke, Toronto,

Looks like Britain is getting alot like France. Pull their panties up and run away.

Ann Reamer, Jackson, USA GA

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

This article is total propoganda

Fanakapan, Reading, UK

Saddam kept the extremists in check through fear and violence, with that element of control gone and Iraq in absolute turmoil, is it any wonder that these fascists should suddenly reappear.
There is no constraining force and no political will to provide one either, thus the helter skelter collapse of any vestige of a civilised society has left open the door for absolute Islamification of the region and has put firmly to an end the secular nation that was Iraq before the onset of this damn silly war.

Graham Day-Myron, Hamilton, Ontario Canada

Anthony is one my fellow countryman who equates U.S. mythology with history. Most of the territory of the U.S. was conquered and occupied after wars with the natives inhabitants; Hawaii was once a sovereign nation, Puerto Rico was robbed from Spain, etc. The Iraq war is clearly a power grab to maintain control over a key strategic zone; no policy maker here gives a damn about the suffering of civilians in the region anymore than policy makers in the era of "Manifest Destiny" cared about Indians.

Bob, Shelton, CT

First I should point out I am not a bible believer – though I was once a preacher of it. Actually in the New Testament – which I suppose these girls may ascribe their religion to – Paul teaches that Christians should follow the local customs of the people they live amongst so long as it does not conflict with the law of Christ. Paul states that he himself did this to avoid offending nations he visited so that he could win the more converts. Thus, according to this doctrine, should a newly converted woman from a primitive tribe, where women were barley dressed, decide visit a nation where full clothing was practiced, the woman should cover herself. Only an oaf wears clothing inside a nudist camp, and only a poor Christian is a nudist among a dressed society. But since I am not myself a Christian, I view the Middle Eastern practice of covered heads as something I would like to see removed.

Jim Eagle Feather, Boulder, USA

So would you have put your very own Winston Churchill up for war crimes after world war 2? Just how many needless deaths occured then? If we would have fought WW2 in the politically correct fasion as we are in Iraq, we would have lost.

Bret, Minnesota, USA

blame everyone but the terrorists. They were peace loving people in iraq before us infidels showed up. How dare a woman want to go uncovered. And such tolerance. They do this in the name of God? Please. God Bless Our Great President Bush And a honest and good man tony blair.

anthony williams, bremerton, usa

Whatever the rights and wrons of the Iraq War and Afghanisan the article shows the nature of the enemy we face.

They are modern day Facist extremists in the guise of Muslims who are prepared to take any measures neccessary to achieve thier aim which is to impose their extremis and perverted brand of Islam on everybody, Muslim and non Muslim alike using force and fear to do so

Remember how the Nazis and other extremist ideologies of the 20th Century started. First threats and them much worse ending with the Nazi death camps such as Aushwitz or Dachau, the Killing Fields of Cambodia or the Soviet Gulags.

If you think it could not happen in Iraq or even here if these extremists are not resisted and get their way then remember the lessons of history and think again.

Evil triumphs when good men do nothing. If you ignore the warning signs and do nothing then do not, if the worst ever does happen, claim that ou were not warned.

Luke Willen, Nottingham, United Kingdom

In this popular age of humanism, existentialism & post modernism, the world finds itself searching for tangible evidence for truth. We tend to justify ourselves by contrasting ourselves with someone worse. Every system must answer these aspects of truth; origin, morality, meaning & destiny, which must correspond and cohere to reality. The reality in
the middle east is that truth must stand. As Edmund Burke said, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing. This war on islamic fascism is a just war. Though by todays current media one could never make this truth claim. The prevelance of communist (now marxist-socialist) semantics & political sophism in media & acedemia has redefined truth, good, bad & evil; America = imperalist = evil, islamist = peace = good. Fact: America is the only world power in world history that has never taken foreign land after war, e.g. europe, germany, italy, japan, s.korea. Some make headlines, some make history.

Anthony, Phoenix, USA / AZ

Stuart and Paul, You both seem to think Afghanistan and Iraq were stable areas before US intervention. The 6 million Sunnis ruled with an iron fist over the oppressed 16 million Shia in Iraq. Saddam and the Baathist Party prohibited the Shia from practicing their religious rituals, pilgrimages from other countries, and slaughtered anyone who attempted to thwart those rules. As far as Afghanistan goes, the Taliban imposed the most extreme Islamic dress codes and practices in the entire Muslim world. . But you don't dare to criticize these regimes. I think the wearing of the veil in Shia areas is to be expected, as is in Iran, an ISLAMIC Republic. You really should get over blaming Bush, Blair for causing Islamic extremism, it is foolish thinking, and futile to believe that fundamental Islamists need an excuse to prefer Sharia Law over Western style democracy.

BL, LA, USA

What does the west care about these women? You only want to 'liberate' them so you can have them working in your dirty little sweat shops. Just like afghan women, the lives of the average iraqi women has never been so bad.

Iraqi women were some of the best educated in the middle-east. Now their country has been democratically destroyed by freedom. Why can't you just leave them and their resources alone!

Maysun, UK,

In this popular age of humanism, existentialism & post modernism, the world finds itself searching for tangible evidence for truth. We tend to justify ourselves by contrasting ourselves with someone worse. Every system must answer these aspects of truth; origin, morality, meaning & destiny, which must correspond and cohere to reality. The reality in
the middle east is that truth must stand. As Edmund Burke said, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing. This war on islamic fascism is a just war. Though by todays current media one could never make this truth claim. The prevelance of communist (now marxist-socialist) semantics & political sophism in media & acedemia has redefined truth, good, bad & evil; America = imperalist = evil, islamist = peace = good. Fact: America is the only world power in world history that has never taken foreign land after war, e.g. europe, germany, italy, japan, s.korea. Some make headlines, some make history.

Anthony, Phoenix, USA / AZ

In this popular age of humanism, existentialism & post modernism, the world finds itself searching for tangible evidence for truth. We tend to justify ourselves by contrasting ourselves with someone worse. Every system must answer these aspects of truth; origin, morality, meaning & destiny, which must correspond and cohere to reality. The reality in
the middle east is that truth must stand. As Edmund Burke said, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing. This war on islamic fascism is a just war. Though by todays current media one could never make this truth claim. The prevelance of communist (now marxist-socialist) semantics & political sophism in media & acedemia has redefined truth, good, bad & evil; America = imperalist = evil, islamist = peace = good. Fact: America is the only world power in world history that has never taken foreign land after war, e.g. europe, germany, italy, japan, s.korea. Some make headlines, some make history.

Anthony, Phoenix, USA / AZ

And I thought things were going "BETTER" over there. . . Wink, wink.

Iam avoter, Houston, Texas

When in Rome, do as the Romans.
Bob K., USA

R. E. KESEL, Penn Yan, NY. USA

All you have to ask yourself is who says they hate Christians and Israel.

Then read Revelations 12. The King James Version then you will be gin to see where we are.

God bless all the Christians that believe in Jesus Christ and are baptised in the name of the Father, and the Son & the Holy Spirit.

Peace and joy to you in his name, Jesus Christ.

-Roger

Roger, Pensacola, America/Fl

Bush, & Blair really must be given a fair trial, and then "hung, drawn, and 1/4'd duely" they have been responsilbe for a staggering number of needless deaths and trashing / creating a failed state in Iraq & Afganistan. On top of this they have shamed the American's and British, (only the ones who hve brains). What a disgrace "civilised America and Britan" are, is this the real democracy, - going round with Humvees and heavy armour and murdering thousands of men wommen and children? what for, well again lets remind ourselves. OIL.

Stuart, London, UK

Just another example of how Bush, Blair and now Brown have completely failed the people of Iraq, and made the world a more dangerous place to boot. Get them to the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague, I say, and get all foreign forces out of Iraq.

Paul Downes, Milton Keynes, Bucks