France's Burqa ban goes into effect.

[statesman]

Two women already arrested protesting the ban...

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/10/french-police-arrest-burqa-ban-protesters/?hpt=C2


I certainly hope that I am not the only one who is absolutely enraged by this... Especially coming out of France... OF ALL PLACES, FRANCE!!


Just one more reason I will always claim Cajun heritage and always denounce my French roots.

 

[xxxCharliexxx]

I agree with Pill to an extent on this one.

It's simply a matter of being able to visibly identify those around you.

I walk into my bank and I have to remove my sunglasses and hat if I'm wearing one so I'm fully visible to everyone in the building (including the cameras). It should be no different for Muslim women walking into the same bank. Otherwise, who would be the ones really discriminated against if they let them keep their burqua's on? Everyone else.

 

[IRfly]

Not enraged at all. Good on them.

 

[Brett327]

They've had a ban on burqas in public schools there for years. It will be interesting to see where this thing goes, as France has a shit-ton of Muslem immigrants.

Brett

 

[IRfly]

Slight correction--they've had a ban on religiously symbolic clothing in schools. The wording on this law is more secular--basically that it is unlawful to cover one's face in a public area. This effectively disallows the wearing of the burqa and niqab, but would still allow the wearing of the hijab. I think that Florida ran into some issues a few years ago with some Muslim ladies (converts mostly, if I remember correctly) who didn't want to have the faces photographed for driver's licenses or something like that. At any rate, I'm certainly interested in hearing about why the OP is "absolutely enraged."

Oh, and I like the part about how the law imposes harsher penalties on those who force others to cover their faces than on those whose faces are actually covered...although that would probably be difficult to prove.

 

[BusyBee604]

Yawn...

At any rate, I'm certainly interested in hearing about why the OP is "absolutely enraged."

I'm not. Let's face it, EVERONE seems to need something to be "enraged about/offended by" these days! This one just doesn't enrage/offend me at all...ho hum, don't give a bleep what French do to Muslims or vice versa.:indiffere PC sux! ropeller

I do agree, however; with OP's opinion on BarBQ.:icon_tong
BzB:sleep_125

 

[Treetop Flyer]

What's so enraging about it?

 

[gparks1989]

It's technically not a burqa ban. In theory if someone forced me to don a ski mask, they would be fined and possibly face prison sentence. From what I gather this is just one part of France's attempt to clearly delineate the boundary between religion and the state. I believe one is also prohibited from wearing a yarmulka or ostentatious religious jewelry.

 

[BACONATOR]

It's technically not a burqa ban. In theory if someone forced me to don a ski mask, they would be fined and possibly face prison sentence. From what I gather this is just one part of France's attempt to clearly delineate the boundary between religion and the state. I believe one is also prohibited from wearing a yarmulka or ostentatious religious jewelry.

Are you talking about the school law referred to above? Because this ban certainly doesn't prohibit that.

And while this is a secularly worded law, you could argue it's a pretty thinly veiled targeted law that is causing a big stir at EXACTLY the demographic it was aimed at. I mean, who ELSE wears items that cover the face OTHER than muslims, on a day to day basis, in spite of weather?

Like Brett, I'm curious to see the fallout from this. While there may only be "2000" Niqab-wearing muslim women, there are a LOT of less observant muslims in France that will certainly be enraged about this. If I am remembering correctly, France has experienced a HUGE influx of Muslim/Arab immigration, and the population is in the millions now.

 

[Fog]

France, other european nations, the U.K. & the U.S. should all have reciprocal laws w/ Muslim nations: if they allow Christian churches, we allow mosques; if they allow public wearing of the Cross, we allow burquas, et. al. Their folks chose to come here, they need to adapt to our culture & follow our laws. Of course, all moslem nations except Saudi Arabia became so as a result of the arab, persian & turkish sword - so they might not be into "reciprocal laws" too much. JMHO.

I'm offended & enraged that 10,000+ americans & naval aviators have died as a result of America choosing to buy Mideast oil. If we would develop our own existing oil reserves, we could stand back and watch them all kill themselves to the last camel standing. Every american president since Eisenhower has perpetuated this financially & strategically stupid policy - it wasn't invented by Obama

 

[SkywardET]

France, other european nations, the U.K. & the U.S. should all have reciprocal laws w/ Muslim nations: if they allow Christian churches, we allow mosques; if they allow public wearing of the Cross, we allow burquas, et. al. Their folks chose to come here, they need to adapt to our culture & follow our laws. Of course, all moslem nations except Saudi Arabia became so as a result of the arab, persian & turkish sword - so they might not be into "reciprocal laws" too much. JMHO.

I'm offended & enraged that 10,000+ americans & naval aviators have died as a result of America choosing to buy Mideast oil. If we would develop our own existing oil reserves, we could stand back and watch them all kill themselves to the last camel standing. Every american president since Eisenhower has perpetuated this financially & strategically stupid policy - it wasn't invented by Obama

Well how do you enforce this type of reciprocation? There is no single Islamic nation--if there were, then UBL would have realized his dream of a pan-Islamic Caliphate. I certainly understand the spirit behind the idea, even if it's an impossibility.


I would also contend that utilizing Mideast oil instead of our own is better from a multi-generational strategic perspective. The oil is there, underneath America and near our shores, and will be there until we use it up. I'd say use up every other nation's natural resources before our own, at least from a Malthusian perspective.

 

[HAL Pilot]

...

I fixed it for you.

 

[QuagmireMcGuire]

You can't really compare France, the UK, and other European nations to the US. All of those states have adopted different theories on diversity; the UK has taken a multicultural perspective in which they aim to protect one's ability to be whatever they want to be. Germany attempted to do so but they really wanted all of them other folk to just become German within a few years time; thus why their ministers are bitching about multiculturalism has failed. I presently live in Ireland and they are having their own growing pains dealing with the arrival of Eastern Europeans, Nigerians, Somalians, Iraqis, Turks, and Koreans.

The policies of the governments were all about inclusion but once that recession hit... bam, them foreigners are stealing our jobs!

Just adding some color.

 

[Fog]

Well how do you enforce this type of reciprocation? There is no single Islamic nation--if there were, then UBL would have realized his dream of a pan-Islamic Caliphate. I certainly understand the spirit behind the idea, even if it's an impossibility.


I would also contend that utilizing Mideast oil instead of our own is better from a multi-generational strategic perspective. The oil is there, underneath America and near our shores, and will be there until we use it up. I'd say use up every other nation's natural resources before our own, at least from a Malthusian perspective.

Dear Sky:
I wasn't serious and hope you didn't think I was. If you believe what you wrote about the long-term strategic wisdom of buying our oil from the Mideast, then get your butt into the Army or USMC and get to Afghanistan and help finish the fight. But since no one else (even the Afghans) has been able to unify that country in more than 1,000 years, you might wanna take a box-lunch or two w/ you.

 

[statesman]

I do agree, however; with OP's opinion on BarBQ.:icon_tong
BzB:sleep_125

My objection is that this is clearly a law aimed at Muslim beliefs and customs.

I get what your saying about the whole covering their heads, not being able to identify etc. But this wasn't written as a way to stop anarchists trying to topple the government, it was written specifically to single out a religious group. And I'm sorry but it wasnt women wearing Burqa's that lit Paris on fire a few years back. It might have been largely led my Arab and Muslim immigrants, but they were largely young males... not women in Burqa's.

To me this is discrimination pure and simple, under the guise of 'security'.