Wow. This’ll go over well, I’m sure…
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D98VP85G1&show_article=1
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.
Ummm… ok, French internal politics may not be my strong suit, but I don’t think a ban on burquas will “stigmatize” Muslims in France. I’d guess that job would be left up to things like THIS:
Just sayin.’ To continue:
“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.”
On the one hand, this is a sentiment I can certainly understand, at an emotional level. Unlike the US, France has a distinct “culture” of sorts, which the trappings of Islam are foreign to (or at least have been since Chuck Da Hammer). And a nation has a right to protect its own culture, to a certain degree. But on the other hand, I’m a big fan of religious freedom. People should be allowed to do whatever dumbass thing they want to to themselves, so long as they don’t force it on others (and that’s where things get iffy… “force” takes on a whole new meaning when you start dealing with peer pressure). If some women want to dress in a way that announces to the world that they are less than human, that they are property, that they are not individuals but instead anonymous commodities… fine. That’s up to them. More power to ’em (or less, as the case would seem to be). But at the same time, anyone who demands to mask themselves in public needs to understand that they will be seen differently… and will be treated differently. If you refuse to show your face… no drivers license for you. No welfare, either, as you cannot be differentiated from anyone else.
If you dress like Klytus in public, people *will* treat you different.
2 Responses to “Sarkozy says burqas are ‘not welcome’ in France”
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Please see this funtastic cartoon on identity. Please don’t allow women discrimination.
He and the other “Lawmakers” also had the real reports about the, for all intents and purposes, Civil War that raged in Paris about 18 months ago (iirc, timing that is) that the “News Media” for some reason never got a camara closer then 2 miles to it … when they did deside to show it at all. So pushing for the Ban now makes sence.