Sarkozy: It's French for "GW Bush"
Ah,..burka-burka-burka!
PARIS — President Nicolas Sarkozy said the Muslim burqa would not be welcome in France, calling the full-body religious gown a sign of the "debasement" of women.
In the first presidential address to parliament in 136 years, Sarkozy faced critics who fear the burqa issue could stigmatize France's Muslims and said he supported banning the garment from being worn in public.
"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 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."
Dozens of legislators have called for creating a commission to study a possible ban in France, where there is a small but growing trend of wearing the full-body garment despite a 2004 law forbidding it from being worn in public schools.
France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, an estimated 5 million people, and the 2004 law sparked fierce debate both at home and abroad.
Even the French government has been divided over the issue, with Immigration Minister Eric Besson saying a full ban would only "create tensions," while junior minister for human rights Rama Yade said she was open to a ban if it was aimed at protecting women forced to wear the burqa.
The terms "burqa" and "niqab" often are used interchangeably in France. 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.
A leading French Muslim group, the French Council for the Muslim Religion, has warned against studying the burqa, saying it would "stigmatize" Muslims.
Sarkozy was due to host a state dinner Monday with Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Al Thani of Qatar, where women wear Islamic head coverings in public — whether while shopping or driving cars.
Labels: Family Values, France, Islam, Islamofascists
posted by TheBitterAmerican @ 8:15 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
A couple years ago, I had to deal with a front desk receptionist at my daughter's doctor's office who felt the need to come to work in full head-to-toe burkha. Only her eyes were visible.
I could not understand a single word she said because her voice was so muffled and I had to keep asking her to repeat herself. The other girl working behind the counter kept huffing and puffing with frustration, as this seemed to be a regular occurence with her.
I agree with Sarkozy: it's a form of subservience. Those who pretend otherwise by preaching "tolerance" are actually being tolerant of intolerance.
Study the ban? Well then, it's all over. After dozens of meetings filled with PC BS, the socialist Libs in French parliament will welcome burqas with open arms.
Post a Comment
<< Home