Behind the Veil

[Disco LT]

A MUSLIM woman sentenced to six months' jail for making a deliberately false statement that a racist policeman tried to forcibly remove her burka has been freed on appeal.

Judge Clive Jeffreys said he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt it was Carnita Matthews, a 47-year-old Muslim woman from Woodbine, NSW, who accused the police of racism because the person who handed in the complaint to police was wearing a burka at the time.

To reach the level of proof of identity to prove the case, it appears Mrs Matthews would have been required to identify herself by lifting her burka at the police station to prove her identity - which is what started the uproar in the first case.

More than a dozen Muslim supporters linked arms and began chanting "Allah Uh Ahkbar" as they stormed out of Downing Centre, Sydney, with Mrs Matthews concealed behind them.

Tempers soon rose and they began jostling with police after several members of the group began attacking TV cameramen.

Mrs Matthew's lawyer Stephen Hopper defended them, saying: "They are obviously happy with the result and are expressing it in a way that is culturally appropriate to them".

Judge Jeffreys concluded yesterday that even if it was Mrs Matthews who made the complaint, he could not be sure she knew it was a "false" statement.

Mrs Matthews originally made the claim in her court appearance last year, saying police could not prove it was her behind the burka when the complaint was handed in to police, but the local magistrate rejected it on that occasion.

It had been alleged that in June she was pulled over for a random breath test, yet accused Sgt Kearney of racism only after he booked her for failing to properly display her P-plates.

The alleged incident was captured on a video camera within the patrol car and helped clear Sgt Kearney, prompting calls for all police cars to carry in-built cameras to avoid false claims.

"I've got my P-plates on my car ... there was nothing wrong with how they were displayed," Mrs Matthews allegedly says on the video.

"You look at me and see me wearing this and you couldn't handle it.

"All cops are racist."

Hours after the booking, a complaint was handed in to police by a woman in a burka accompanied by a man in a brown suit.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-n ... 6078801032

A touchy subject, but to be quite frank it's due to cases like this where the the Burka should be banned. If anyone is not happy with that, they're more than welcome to leave to a country where it is legal.

[Lurk]

I couldn't care either way, but if the cops pull you over they generally need to see that it's you when they look at your ID. He wasn't being racist about it at all by the sound of it.

[Fireslide]

A bit of a strange situation. With a taste of irony.

I'd like to think it wasn't beyond reasonable doubt it was her that handed in the complaint, because who else would it be? It's not like the initial incident was broadcast on TV, nor would anyone else have enough motivation to complain about it on her behalf.

All that will happen now is Police will probably say we can't accept any complaints unless you identify yourself, or the law will be changed to say as much.

[FryzieDelta]

"All cops are racist."

Epic irony.

If you're asked to identify yourself by police then you do. Everyone is required to abide by the law of the land. If you can't do this, go somewhere else. I'm fed up with people hiding behind generalisations so that they can generalise about others.

More than a dozen Muslim supporters linked arms and began chanting "Allah Uh Ahkbar" as they stormed out of Downing Centre, Sydney, with Mrs Matthews concealed behind them.

Tempers soon rose and they began jostling with police after several members of the group began attacking TV cameramen.

Mrs Matthew's lawyer Stephen Hopper defended them, saying: "They are obviously happy with the result and are expressing it in a way that is culturally appropriate to them".

Same thing. I don't care if it is 'culturally appropriate', rioting in the street is illegal and just downright dickhead behaviour.

[Tastynapalm]

So commit a crime. Flee the scene and then change into a burka. Play the culture card and you can get away.

[MaddMoose]

So commit a crime. Flee the scene and then change into a burka. Play the culture card and you can get away.

Don't forget to violently riot in the streets after you aren't convicted to celebrate.

[Tastynapalm]

So commit a crime. Flee the scene and then change into a burka. Play the culture card and you can get away.

Don't forget to violently riot in the streets after you aren't convicted to celebrate.

Oh yes the God is Great chant to seal the burka deal.

[Nekosan]

"They are obviously happy with the result and are expressing it in a way that is culturally appropriate to them".

IMO deport the stupid moron who made that statement, ship him out to international waters and tell him to piss off. It's a sad fact that people are so terrified of being called "racist" that the won't even uphold the laws of our country. Reminds me of the intense fear people used to have of being accused of supporting communism, better not disagree with whoever had the loudest voice folks or you're a racist communist.

Maybe we should convert and call for sharia law gentlemen, we could get in a week or two of stoning funtime before all the ladies cover up and learn to stay in the house unless they're escorted.

edit: they should have broken out the water cannons on their little riot, the epic "racist police" spiel would have given me weeks of laughs.

edit #2: how exactly does one make a statement to police which actually gets investigated as fact without providing positive proof of identity? was the desk sgt just incompetent? or can a woman walk into a station tomorrow pretending to be someone else and accuse a guy of rape etc? that seems like a pretty freaking big loophole right there...

[Datafunk]

i've said this before but,

we should really start a religion about motorsport, make it legit in all aspects, then have the motorbike full faced helmet as the 'symbol of our devotion to our god' so we can wear them everywhere, the bank, the petrol station and never, EVER be asked to take them off.

[FryzieDelta]

I'm a Jedi, and I get extremely offended when people tell me that those were the droids they were looking for, and when solid objects don't fly when I wave my hands mystically. I've also never kissed my sister passionately on the lips or designed an unstoppable space station that explodes when someone shines a torch though the air vent that leads to space. Makes me want to riot through the street and attack cameramen.

[Mekon]

edit #2: how exactly does one make a statement to police which actually gets investigated as fact without providing positive proof of identity? was the desk sgt just incompetent? or can a woman walk into a station tomorrow pretending to be someone else and accuse a guy of rape etc? that seems like a pretty freaking big loophole right there...[/i]

Presumably the desk jockey screwed up. I'm actually amazed the case went to court in the first place, let alone recorded a conviction - whether or not you approve of the Burka, convicting someone without proof of identity is a pretty long bow to draw.

/me goes and robs a bank, telling them I'm someone else.

Can't really see how banning the Burka has any bearing on this case at all, other than to stir up the usual racist troglodytes.

[Datafunk]

edit #2: how exactly does one make a statement to police which actually gets investigated as fact without providing positive proof of identity? was the desk sgt just incompetent? or can a woman walk into a station tomorrow pretending to be someone else and accuse a guy of rape etc? that seems like a pretty freaking big loophole right there...[/i]

Presumably the desk jockey screwed up. I'm actually amazed the case went to court in the first place, let alone recorded a conviction - whether or not you approve of the Burka, convicting someone without proof of identity is a pretty long bow to draw.

/me goes and robs a bank, telling them I'm someone else.

Can't really see how banning the Burka has any bearing on this case at all, other than to stir up the usual racist troglodytes.

really?

she can accuse someone of a crime without identifying her self?
sounds a bit messed up to me mekon.

[cyclobs]

edit #2: how exactly does one make a statement to police which actually gets investigated as fact without providing positive proof of identity? was the desk sgt just incompetent? or can a woman walk into a station tomorrow pretending to be someone else and accuse a guy of rape etc? that seems like a pretty freaking big loophole right there...[/i]

Presumably the desk jockey screwed up. I'm actually amazed the case went to court in the first place, let alone recorded a conviction - whether or not you approve of the Burka, convicting someone without proof of identity is a pretty long bow to draw.

/me goes and robs a bank, telling them I'm someone else.

Can't really see how banning the Burka has any bearing on this case at all, other than to stir up the usual racist troglodytes.

how is it racist? it has nothing at all to do with race. it's religion

[Mekon]

she can accuse someone of a crime without identifying her self?
sounds a bit messed up to me mekon.

Well, that is what happened. I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying whoever the idiot was who took the complaint didn't do their job.

If you choose to make a complaint, you should have to show proof of identity. It wouldn't have been that hard to take the women into a private interview room and get her to lift her veil... and if she refused to do that, inform her no complaint could be registered.

how is it racist? it has nothing at all to do with race. it's religion

Uhhh... because that's what racist means?

racist - discriminatory especially on the basis of race or religion

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/racist

[cyclobs]

racist - discriminatory especially on the basis of race or religion

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/racist

gay