Monday, 22 June 2009
-
"French President Nicolas Sarkozy lashed out Monday at the practice of wearing the Muslim burqa, insisting the full-body religious gown is a sign of the "debasement" of women and that it won't be welcome in France.
The French leader expressed support for a recent call by dozens of legislators to create a parliamentary commission to study a small but growing trend of wearing the full-body garment in France.In the first presidential address in 136 years to a joint session of France's two houses of parliament, Sarkozy laid out his support for a ban even before the panel has been approved - braving critics who fear the issue is a marginal one and could stigmatize Muslims in France.
"In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity," Sarkozy said to extended applause in a speech at the Chateau of Versailles southwest of Paris.
"The burqa is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement - I want to say it solemnly," he said. "It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic."
In France, the terms "burqa" and "niqab" often are used interchangeably. The former refers to a full-body covering worn largely in Afghanistan with only a mesh screen over the eyes, whereas the latter is a full-body veil, often in black, with slits for the eyes.
Later Monday, Sarkozy was expected to host a state dinner with Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Al Thani of Qatar. Many women in the Persian Gulf state wear Islamic head coverings in public - whether while shopping or driving cars.
France enacted a law in 2004 banning the Islamic headscarf and other conspicuous religious symbols from public schools, sparking fierce debate at home and abroad. France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, an estimated five million people.
A government spokesman said Friday that it would seek to set up a parliamentary commission that could propose legislation aimed at barring Muslim women from wearing the head-to-toe gowns outside the home.
The issue is highly divisive even within the government. France's junior minister for human rights, Rama Yade, said she was open to a ban if it is aimed at protecting women forced to wear the burqa.
However, some in the government oppose the move. Eric Besson, the immigration minister, warned that such a ban would "create tensions." In addition, a leading French Muslim group warned against studying the burqa issue."
Source: here.
Hallelujah! I swear I will never raise a hand, voice, or thought to France for as long as I live. This is a miraculous exhibition of basic human rights and something I profoundly support. Nicolas Sarkozy is my hero! I sincerely wish America would follow suit. Oh my God, this gives me such wonderful hope for humankind. I'm simply elated! I'm as fucking giddy as a schoolgirl! This is so wonderful!
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Post a Comment
- Back to lissaplosion's Lovelyish Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in lissaplosion's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (3)
not at all; thanks for the add. :) and thank you for the compliment on lovelyish. people seem to love freedom of speech until someone says something contrary to their beliefs.
i can understand where you're coming from. i think enforcing full-body covering is oppressive, and i don't love religions in general, but i wouldn't blame islam for this. nearly every religion is patriarchical (and thus will say shit about how men > women), but it's the extremists who take it too far. islam expects "modesty," not that atrocious garment.
I am french, and surveys in France are showing that 72% of the population (all religion mixed) are for this ban. I think as I said on another article that it's normal for my country to make discussions and laws to protect women from abusive behavior. Because make a women living behind a screen is not taking account on her fundamental rights, but putting her out of the social life. Because in France, driving ith a burqa is not possible for security reasons (try to drive with a reduced visibility !). I have 2 women in Burqa at my University : they had problem to enter buldings when identity checking occurs for exams at the end of the year, or "language laboratory lesson" (because they made an arabic licence so, oral evaluation). In this lesson, we have to had a casque on hears and speak loud on a microphone... they can't put of their clothes to do this, and don't know how they did this lesson and exam.
So, problem to get driving licence (that is ti say a work in France) + social handicap (education, taking the bus or getting into shops is a problem because of the vigipirat plan because face hidden = possible menace : who is behind this screen ?? a real women or a men disguise to make something wrong ?) + often be under a male domination + pity from all the population (how can we don't be sad for those girls behind their screen while occidental free girl ??) = not a nice situation.
Another law is passed : banning face covering during riots.Not a religious decision, just make to protect people. So, rioting in Burqa might also be forbiden lol
Another thing : wearing a veil is forbidden, but also wearing a big cross or stuff like that. In fact, in schools, you can often wear those stuff without having problem if you are not make proselitism. Our schools are secular, I think it's a great chance, but people can also whoose of put their children in religious private schools if they want that their children can wear veils or other religious things, they can send them on those schools.