Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Burqa not welcome in France
France is home to Western Europe's largest Islamic community, with some five million Muslims living there. The President of France Nicolas Sarkozy Monday, in a speech to a joint session of both houses of the Parliament of France, stated that the burqa "will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic".
A burqa (also transliterated burkha, burka or burqua from Arabic: برقع burqu‘) is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the purpose of cloaking the entire body. The garb covers a woman's body from head to toe, with a mesh over the eyes so that the wearer may see.
In the speech, which was boycotted by the Green and Communist parties, Sarkozy said that "We cannot accept, in our country, women imprisoned behind a mesh, cut off from society, deprived of all identity. That is not the French Republic's idea of women's dignity." He stated that the burqa "is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience."
Sarkozy himself stated that he was calling for a public debate. "A debate has to take place and all views must be expressed.", he said. "What better place than Parliament for this?" Sarkozy called for the public debate to focus on these issues, and not to become a debate over Islam itself. "We must not fight the wrong battle," he said. "In the Republic, the Muslim faith must be respected as much as other religions."
A burqa (also transliterated burkha, burka or burqua from Arabic: برقع burqu‘) is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the purpose of cloaking the entire body. The garb covers a woman's body from head to toe, with a mesh over the eyes so that the wearer may see.
In the speech, which was boycotted by the Green and Communist parties, Sarkozy said that "We cannot accept, in our country, women imprisoned behind a mesh, cut off from society, deprived of all identity. That is not the French Republic's idea of women's dignity." He stated that the burqa "is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience."
Sarkozy himself stated that he was calling for a public debate. "A debate has to take place and all views must be expressed.", he said. "What better place than Parliament for this?" Sarkozy called for the public debate to focus on these issues, and not to become a debate over Islam itself. "We must not fight the wrong battle," he said. "In the Republic, the Muslim faith must be respected as much as other religions."
