resident Nicolas Sarkozy has declared that the burqa is unwelcome in

France, saying that it is a symbol of subservience that makes them into "prisoners behind a screen". President Barack Obama in contrast has defended hijab as "indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion", and has pledged that the US government will continue to punish those who deny the right of women to wear hijab. In Australia too, Muslim women's dress codes have become matters of public debate.

This

public forum at UNSW brings together leading figures in this debate in order to discuss questions of religion, sex and discrimination, and the role of the state in the regulation of dress.