hawkette

BBC NEWS | Europe | Sarkozy speaks out against burka

Finally, we have a world leader who is willing to say publicly what millions of women have been saying for years; the Muslim world is grossly anti-woman's rights. IMO, it's way beyond time for this debate to go public and mainstream.

IBfootballer

i think the policy of banning them is grossly inappropriate and will greatly anger the substantial french muslim population. if a woman decides that she wants to humble herself before Allah by dressing this modestly, it most certainly ought be her right. The EU prolly has policies against banning such things.

Northstarmom

"In a major policy speech, he said the burka - a garment covering women from head to toe - reduced them to servitude and undermined their dignity.
Mr Sarkozy also gave his backing to the establishment of a parliamentary commission to look at whether to ban the wearing of burkas in public.
Wearing of the veil is already outlawed in France's state schools.
"We cannot accept to have in our country women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, deprived of identity," Mr Sarkozy told a special session of parliament in Versailles.
"That is not the idea that the French republic has of women's dignity.
"The burka is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic," the French president said."

I think what he said was inappropriate. If women want to wear that garment, it's their business.

Would he have said the same about nuns who choose to wear habits? After all, nuns are subservient to priests.

IBfootballer

habits and burqas are rather different.

you can see a nun's face in her habits.

but the french gov still has no business banning it.

IBfootballer

according to reuters, girls can't even wear hijab in schools.

LakeWashington

You folks are all pretty quick to condemn the government of France without addressing any historical/cultural perspectives. You should know that while France has longstanding Catholic traditions, since the revolution public has been distrustful of religious intrusion into secular life.

And the same goes in some Latin American nations. It may still be true that in Mexico Catholic priests were forbidden from wearing their robes at public/government/secular events. That's my understanding.

ShinobiSoldier

Well, as far as the middle east i have a bit of exp. in that area. Im currently on my 3rd tour of iraq. Here all a man has to do is say "i divorce you" to his wife 3 times and she is shamed and legally divorced. So the pressure to conform is greater than in more liberal countries. So until the women who are subject to this treatment realize that they have the right to change with out fear of legal reprocussion. I fear nothing will change.

eireann

Shinobi, this law wouldn't give women the right to change without fear of legal repercussion. It would force them to change or fear legal repercussion.

Hunt

I think this a a very difficult line-drawing situation. What cultural practices prevalent in other countries should be unwelcome or prohibited in a Western democracy? What about, say, polygamy? I tend to think that Sarkozy is wrong in this particular case, but drawing the line isn't simple.

IBfootballer

^that's a good point. it's a rather objective thing, but it's obvious to me that banning the burqa and even banning hijab in schools is just over the line.

seriously, isn't there something in the EU charter against this?

Northstarmom

"Mr Sarkozy also gave his backing to the establishment of a parliamentary commission to look at whether to ban the wearing of burkas in public."

This seems is what I disagree with.

hellojan

To paraphrase Norman Davies, a historian and social commentator, one should never underestimate the sense of invasion that a dominant culture experiences when visible changes occur.

Lergnom

The French have the right to decide the attributes they consider essential to being French. People who don't like that can live elsewhere.

hawkette

Do you think that these women are willingly wearing their burkas or hijabs? Some may, some may not, but would any of you feel differently if these women were being coerced via the religion to adopt certain habits? Given how women are treated within Islam and how they are permitted (or not) to interact with others, I truly doubt the level of free choice that they have in making this fashion choice.

barrons

Good for Sarkozy and good for France.