France denies citizenship to Moroccan man who forces wife to wear full veil

[The_Dude 1,142]

France denies citizenship to Moroccan man who forces wife to wear full veil

Niqab breaches secularism and women's rights, says minister, ruling husband's behaviour 'incompatible with French values'

France is to refuse to grant citizenship to a Moroccan man who forces his wife to wear the full veil, arguing that his adherence to a strict strand of Islam is incompatible with the country's values, the immigration minister said today.

Eric Besson said he had signed a decree explaining that the man, whose identity was not made public, was being denied citizenship because his behaviour towards his French wife contravened secularism and women's rights.

"It emerged during the inquiry and the interview process that this person forced his wife to wear the full veil, deprived her of freedom of movement with her face exposed and rejected the principles of secularism and equality between men and women," Besson said in a statement.

According to Le Figaro, which obtained a copy of the ruling handed down by the council of state, France's highest legal body, the man behaved towards women in a way which made him "incompatible" with the values of France.

"Monsieur X displays in an everyday manner a discriminatory attitude towards women, going as far as refusing to shake their hands and advocating the separation of boys and girls including, at home, of brothers and sisters," the ruling read.

"The lifestyle he has chosen may be justified by religious precepts but is incompatible with the values of the Republic, notably the principle of equality of the sexes."

This is not the first time France has cited the niqab – a veil that leaves only the wearer's eyes showing – as grounds for the refusal of citizenship. In 2008, a Moroccan woman, Faiza Silmi, was told she could not become French because her veil and "radical" interpretation of Islam were obstacles to assimilation.

Last week, a committee of MPs voted to support a parliamentary resolution condemning the niqab, and called for a ban on the garment in public facilities such as hospitals and post offices, and on public transport. They shied away, however, from recommending a ban on women covering their faces anywhere in public.

The decision to reject the application for citizenship comes after a demand last month by the justice minister, Michele Alliot-Marie, that Muslim men who force their wives to wear the full veil be denied the right to become French.

Amid debate over the niqab in December, the interior minister, Brice Hortefeux, echoed her sentiments, saying that allowing supporters of the full veil into "the national community" was not a "desirable" course of action.

"Nothing would be more normal than to systematically refuse access to residency permits to the person wearing the veil and to her husband," he said.

Source

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Good for France.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Good for France.

They have a very strong secular history and I don't think they will back down like the U.S. or U.K. would.

[Peikko 1,575]

This is an odd story, but I agree with the French ruling.

In essence, if the woman is being 'forced' to wear the niqab then what we have is a simple case of human rights abuse. What I find strange is how the French authorities knew that she was being forced (coerced). Presumably, either the wife made some kind of complaint to the authorities or there is a question in the citizenship process, the response to which alerted the authorities to the potential problem and somehow it became clear that there was coercion involved. Either way, the fact that they know about it implies the wife wasn't happy, or so it seems to me.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Madame Cleo

[The_Dude 1,142]

This is an odd story, but I agree with the French ruling.

In essence, if the woman is being 'forced' to wear the niqab then what we have is a simple case of human rights abuse. What I find strange is how the French authorities knew that she was being forced (coerced). Presumably, either the wife made some kind of complaint to the authorities or there is a question in the citizenship process, the response to which alerted the authorities to the potential problem and somehow it became clear that there was coercion involved. Either way, the fact that they know about it implies the wife wasn't happy, or so it seems to me.

This does have the feel of a cherry-picked case to validate their previous outlaw of the head coverings.

[Nagishkaw 510]

a Moroccan man who forces his wife to wear the full veil

I wonder how he 'forces' her?

[Darnell 8,480]

Madame Cleo - eh - I'm thinking it came about during the interview itself, or maybe during a 'home visit'.

I also think that the 'history' with Morocco still is in most French Lawmakers' minds. Is strange, yes? only Moroccan 'nationals' are reporting this 'problem'.

[Peikko 1,575]

This does have the feel of a cherry-picked case to validate their previous outlaw of the head coverings.

Either that, or the person writing the piece has an agenda. It seems pretty clear to me that if the wife is being forced to do something that contradicts the human rights and privileges that she enjoys as a citizen of the country then the country has every right to declare that as an abuse and prevent it from continuing.

Madame Cleo - eh - I'm thinking it came about during the interview itself, or maybe during a 'home visit'.

I also think that the 'history' with Morocco still is in most French Lawmakers' minds. Is strange, yes? only Moroccan 'nationals' are reporting this 'problem'.

Why did she say 'he makes me wear it'? She is allowed to wear it if she so chooses (subject to whatever rules that are in place for the wearing of such garments in public places)

[The_Dude 1,142]

Either that, or the person writing the piece has an agenda. It seems pretty clear to me that if the wife is being forced to do something that contradicts the human rights and privileges that she enjoys as a citizen of the country then the country has every right to declare that as an abuse and prevent it from continuing.

I'll take it a step further. France is a secular nation, and as such requires potential citizens to adhere to those same principles. If they choose not to, they are free to go to another country.

[Ban Hammer 14,814]

I wonder how he 'forces' her?

"you wear it, or i'll refuse to eat your cooking!"

[Peikko 1,575]

I'll take it a step further. France is a secular nation, and as such requires potential citizens to adhere to those same principles. If they choose not to, they are free to go to another country.

They didn't say he can't practice his religion as he chooses for himself, only that he can't force the practices and customs of that religion onto someone else, even his wife. Her human rights derived from her citizenship of the country trump his practices and customs derived from his religion. France is simply upholding that principal and good for them.

[The_Dude 1,142]

They didn't say he can't practice his religion as he chooses for himself, only that he can't force the practices and customs of that religion onto someone else, even his wife. Her human rights derived from her citizenship of the country trump his practices and customs derived from his religion. France is simply upholding that principal and good for them.

France recently outlawed the head coverings that hide the entire face. Could they deny a woman who chose to wear the niqab her citizenship purely on the basis that she refused to try to integrate?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Goooo France!!!!!!!

[Peikko 1,575]

France recently outlawed the head coverings that hide the entire face. Could they deny a woman who chose to wear the niqab her citizenship purely on the basis that she refused to try to integrate?

So what? That's irrelevant to this case, despite the use of it within the article. The wife is a French citizen. She has the right to practice any religion she so chooses and to take on all the practices and customs therein so long as they do not conflict with any laws that are in place (wearing niqab in some public places being one of these laws). The fact is that the case rests on whether or not she was being 'forced' to practice customs and practices against her will or not, not whether or not she can or can't wear niqab if she wants to.

[Peikko 1,575]

France recently outlawed the head coverings that hide the entire face. Could they deny a woman who chose to wear the niqab her citizenship purely on the basis that she refused to try to integrate?

Sorry, slight misread. Apparently they can and did in another case although without knowing all the facts it quite reasonable to suppose that the wearing of the niqab was only indicative of a mindset that it incompatible with French laws and customs, not the sole reason for denial.