France to ban Burqas/Niqab in Public?

[Kenza 1]

BBC-Sarkozy Edited June 22, 2009 by Kenza

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I like this part of the article:

[MrsAmera 41]

Good for France !

[sandinista! 1,816]

exactly how are restrictions on people's religious expression ever a good idea amanda?

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I think there is a problem with translation. I doubt Sarkozy was refering to the afghan burqa. Instead, I think he was refering to the face veil, known as niqab here in the US, and a burqa in the gulf. I can't imagine more than a small handfull of women wear an afghan burqa, as the niqab + abaya/jelbab is far the far more common way of concele the face and body.

Time for me to bust out my periwinkle niqab and take a trip to france. Or maybe I should buy the pink one that I've had my eye on for awhile

Honestly, it's all just counter productive. Women who do not want to reveal their faces in public will end up staying home and be in increased isolation. And if a husband is an #### enough to force a wife to wear one against her will, does he really think he's suddenly going to see the light and let her go out without one?

On a tangent...everytime I see the french government getting all uppity about the audacity of muslims to cover, I think, well, that's what you get for colonizing muslim countries.

Edited June 22, 2009 by UmmSqueakster

[justashooter 430]

IMHO, sarkozy is taking a stab at cultural differentiation. persons without faces cannot be accepted into a culture, as they do not, in the "limbic sight" of others, exist. the human face is a unique shape in the animal world, and ties us all together at an instinctive level. removing the facial identity of a person removes them from the species, on a subconscious level.

this is why policemen wear facemasks these days. it removes the humanity from them and causes us to believe at a subconscious level that they will have no human inhibition or weakness.

[amysaid 9]

How silly.

[mahboula 11]

from the article: In 2004, France banned the Islamic headscarves in its state schools.

Ridiculous. What is this guy thinking?

[msu17 0]

I have never spoken with anyone wearing a burka, but I imagine it would be very difficult to have a conversation when you couldn't see a person's body language or facial expressions. Anyone have any experience with this? Just curious.

[mahboula 11]

I have never spoken with anyone wearing a burka, but I imagine it would be very difficult to have a conversation when you couldn't see a person's body language or facial expressions. Anyone have any experience with this? Just curious.

There is still expression in their eyes, you can still see their body move, and tone of voice too. It's not difficult. I won't say all, but the women I spoke to made the choice to dress in this way for themselves. They were not being forced to do so as that article suggests. I just don't see why someone else thinks he has the right to take this choice away from them. I believe a woman who doesn't want to dress this way shouldn't be forced to do so by her family or others... but to ban it? I don't get it.

[MrsAmera 41]

There is a difference between burqa and niqab - and from reading several article he is refering to an Afghan burqa. I've met a lot of Afghan women here - there is a very large community. Not one wears a burqa let alone a hijab at all. Everyone of them has said burqas were forced. I don't think too many Afghan women "choose" that. When someone is wearing a burqa you can't see her eyes, you can't see anything. I fail to see where anyone is choosing this, although who knows maybe there are a handful out there. The ban will either isolate or empower, but in a generation or two who knows.

[mahboula 11]

Yes I see your point, there is a difference. The women I spoke to were covered, except for their eyes. This man has already banned the headscarves in certain places though... is he truly limiting his ban to the ones where the women are entirely covered? Even if he is, I still believe it is wrong for him to make this choice for anyone.

[100% Al Ahly Fan 53]

"To raise the subject like this, via a parliamentary committee, is a way of stigmatising

Islam and the Muslims of France" -Mohammed Moussaoui, French Council for the Muslim Religion

EXACTLY!

So why is Sarkozy evening worried about this? Doesn't France have better things to do then worry about women in how they choice to express themselves?? Argh....it's so frustrating!!!!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Well, it's France, and they can make their laws as they wish, just as the KSA can ban Christian expression in public and ban non-Muslims from Mecca.

[Staashi 371]

Well, it's France, and they can make their laws as they wish, just as the KSA can ban Christian expression in public and ban non-Muslims from Mecca.