Posted on 06/23/2009 11:30:49 AM PDT by lewisglad
The French National Assembly announced Tuesday the creation of an inquiry into whether women in France should be allowed to wear the burka, one day after President Nicolas Sarkozy controversially told lawmakers that the traditional Muslim garment was "not welcome" in France.
A cross-party panel of 32 lawmakers will investigate whether the traditional Muslim garment poses a threat to the secular nature of the French constitution. They are due to report back with their recommendations in six months.
On Monday Sarkozy declared in a keynote parliamentary address that the burka, which covers women from head to toe, is "not welcome" in France.
"The problem of the burka is not a religious problem. This is an issue of a woman's freedom and dignity. This is not a religious symbol. It is a sign of subservience; it is a sign of lowering. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France," Sarkozy told lawmakers
Some lawmakers have called for burkas to be banned completely, claiming they are degrading to women. They also include housing minister Fadela Amara, a Muslim-born women's rights campaigner, who has called the garment "a kind of tomb for women."
"We cannot accept in our country women trapped behind a fence, cut off from social life, deprived of any identity. This is not the idea that we have of a woman's dignity," Sarkozy said Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
I get antsy whenever a government comes together to decide if they’re going to “allow” a citizen to do something. Burkas aren’t my thing, but if someone wants to wear one, it’s no sweat off my back.
I agree. They should do something about immigration.
There are issues of security and visible identity that would have better legal standing in barring their use in public.
Notice how Michelle Obama didn’t go to the Middle East with her husband. She would’ve had to suit up in head scarves too (like Hillary did). She joined him in France, where she was not required to wear one under Islamic law.
Our president said that it is not a sign of oppression, that women CHOOSE to wear them.
So he should’ve brought his wife, and defended her decision NOT to wear one while in the Middle East.
In some neighborhoods in Paris (primarily in the crappy outer suburbs), burkas are almost the norm. Women without coverings are routinely harassed.
This type of clothing is used to mark religious territory. When a large number of women in an area are covered up, any non-Muslim women will feel pressure to do the same, or move out.
So, the French are dealing with a social problem that we have never had to deal with in this country- ther takeover of certain neighborhoods by a group of people whose beliefs go against French culture and values.
I like you image better ...
One of the most infuriating things I've seen in my whole life was the third most important person in the world (theoretically), Nancy Pelosi, wearing a head scarf in deference to the filthy custom of subservience of women in the Middle East while she was touring there. Pelosi - a liberal woman who's made a career of shrieking about human rights and equality. I can't and won't post the rest of what I think.
They talked up womens’ rights and treatment in the workplace, etc. yet they all stood shoulder to shoulder with Bill Clinton when women said that they were sexually harassed and even raped by this man.
Quite a bit different than the treatment they gave Clarence Thomas (Anita Hill still making the college circuit speaking for money?).
It’ll never happen. France is already practically under the thumb of Islam.
Anyone know where in the koran, it mentions women’s clothing?
problem is that they then say they should not have to take it off for a drivers license, for a cop when they are stopped, for immigration etc.
no where does it state in the koran women should have to wear an hijab. They wear it to not come into our society, to show they are not us and that they are muslim.
BAN the thing, it is not right bringing up girls and telling them to not get married who they want to and they have to be covered up.
after all the Left tells us that it is great going to other countries and seeing strong tradition and culture and yet they want to bring that over here so we have none of that
correct and this is not a problem for France but all of Europe .
They then want to not show their face for a drivers license, immigration, when a cop stops them etc.
They tell their girls from the start to cover up and they use it as a way to inform non Muslims in the west that this is a muslim area.
When a women does not get covered up she is persecuted and where are the left on this issue?
They go on about womens rights and yet stay silent on many things like this
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