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French parliament bans face veils
Associated Press
Published: 13.07.10, 19:07
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25 Talkbacks for this article
1. how come Amnesty International says nothing
rachel ,   usa   (07.13.10)
about the arab countries that force women to wear veils? Is it that they took money from Saudi Arabia ?
2. the EU has started a war on religion
zionist forever   (07.13.10)
Personally I am against the wearing of face vails but if the woman wants to wear it then she should be allowed Europe has become very anti religion. France is banning the wearing of any religious symbols in schools a christian can't even wear a small crucifix, a jew can't wear a kipa. British Airways was taken to court by an employee on the grounds of discrimination because she was an observant christian and she was ordered to remove a small crucifix nobody noticed. The EU discriminates against most religion these days in favor of minority groups like gays.
3. I'm with France on this one. Ban it.
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, DC USA   (07.13.10)
Some time back I saw two women in Islamic Garb approaching Washington's Union Station - walking distance to the Capitol. One wearing a hijab, the other wearing the "full ninja" niqab. It's partly a security concern. There have been numerous instances where women in Islamic garb - or men dressed as women - committed crimes, engaged in suicide bombings, or escaped justice (Arafat for one). But it's also a question of values and the "slippery slope". We've seen that in Egypt and Turkey, where the veil and even the hijab were once out of favor, they are becoming more common sights. The radicals and fundamentalists are in the ascendant, and social pressure means one can never assume this is "free choice". Such fundamentalist trends must not be legitimized. The West has its own culture and values which it has the right to defend. Those who want to wear the veil should be reminded there are 57 member states in the OIC. France isn't one of them, and neither is the US.
4. or, to put it another way....
J K ,   NYC, USA   (07.13.10)
If you want to hear a burka, then France may not be the country for you.
5. Now please bring it to the UK and ALL EU member states.
Lee ,   Manchester UK   (07.13.10)
and bring us some long anticipated sanity. ANYBODY could be under one of those black sheets A BOMB BELTED ANYBODY! A total ban please, if they want to dress and live the full islamic lifestyle - there are plenty of muslim and arab states where they can live the full daily experience and i among many would be happy to see the back of you as much as you us.
6. AN INVESTIGATIVE PANEL!
OZ   (07.13.10)
at once.... should be formed by the u.n to study the implication of such a french provocative move to infrinch on the poor moslem's rights! how dare the french/ really........ better yet ,call obama for condemnation ........
7. #5 can we ban women Jewish wigs,mens big black coats,ringlet
Sharon Johnston ,   Albany, NY. USA   (07.14.10)
On recent vacation to London I stayed in Neighborhood called Brent cross, so many Jews dressed all in black, yamulkahs, furry lamp shades for hats and women in wigs all swarming around the mall and local streets. Can the government ban this dress as well, it belongs in the 1920s Russia. One rule for one but not for Jews?
8. #7 if you can't see the difference then read #3
rachel ,   usa   (07.14.10)
9. #7 last time i checked the jews werent bombing anyone
joe ,   new york, us   (07.14.10)
Jews dont walk into crowded buses with bomb belts hidden under their suits and blow themselves up . the point is, most women dont want to wear this ridiculous veil, which is not even a requirement in Islam, just like foot binding in the last century, these customs are imposed on women, not their choice.
10. #7 the ban is on face veils...
Ruth ,   Los Angeles CA   (07.14.10)
At the risk of belaboring the obvious, none of the items you mention covers the face. Neither do the veils of Catholic nuns or Islamic headscarves for that matter, which are also not affected by the ban.
11. #7
(07.14.10)
when you see jewish women and men keeping suicide belts and bombs underneath their wigs and fur hats and blowing up the countries in which they live, causing terrorism everywhere they happen to live in the diaspora, you can have the right to complain why the french do not ban those jewish hats and wigs. hameed aboughaze, iranian
12. This is a security issue
shrinkDave ,   Miami USA   (07.14.10)
As anyone in the military or police can tell you, wearing a burka or any full body mask makes it much easier to commit crimes. For example, can you tell if the person in the photo is a man with a full beard or a woman? What is under the Burka? A girdle or a submachine gun? This is a security issue, plain and simple.
13. Furry Lampshades @ 5
mairiT ,   Glasgow UK   (07.14.10)
There is one suttle difference between furry lampshades and the Burqa.........You can see the face under that lamp shade.............and that is what this ban is all about........leave your religious ideas out of the discussion.....it has got nothing to do with religion it is a political statement..........you will find quite a few imams who have stated clearly that the Quran does not state that it is mandatory for Muslim women to wear them. By the way, I live in Scotland and there are many Muslims who would not even consider wearing the Burqa, not even for a nano second.
14. 5
zionist forever   (07.14.10)
I remeber reading about in the UK a man left the country illegally by using a false passport and pretending to be a muslim woman in the full black get up/ Last year I was also entering the UK and in front of me at Heathrow airport at passport control was a muslim woman in the full vail the woman looked at her passport looked at the woman in her vail and let her pass. No asking her to remove the vail or anything to prove she is the person in the passport. Problem is nobody wants to stand up to the muslms out of fear of being accused of persecution and upsetting the wider islamic world. The UK talks about being tough on terror, caring about security and introducing scanners at airports but they won/t do something as simple as ask a muslim woman to remove her vail when they they are supposed to be checking passports.
15. Europe heads this way while USA builds ground zero mosque
Adam Winehouse ,   JSLM   (07.14.10)
16. Sharon Johnston: You don't get it or
Robert Haymond ,   Israel/Canada   (07.14.10)
you plainly don't want to get it: Covering the whole body and face creates an excellent opportunity for a terrorist attack (as well as a criminal one). We, in Israel, are very used to the disguises used by terrorists so it's not just an idea we play with here; it's also a life and death endeavor and that could equally be true for France. As to the Charedim whose dress (and anything else like milling about the mall?) you find so distasteful, let's look at it this way: Many Jews in Israel also find their dress preposterous (including me) for a number of reasons including the fact that their dress is not in keeping with the natural world. So may I ask you the following questions: 1) Have you ever heard of a terrorist act committed by a Jew anywhere in the UK? In western Europe? In North America? I haven't. 2) Do any of the Charedim milling about have their faces covered? I doubt it. 3) Is your post based on dislike of Jews or a certain class of Jews as opposed to wanting to make a genuine comparison and wishing to make a point about burkas and weils? It crosses my mind. At any rate, I'd appreciate your responses.
17. #7 There is no reason to ban them
Bloodyscot ,   Dallas, Texas   (07.14.10)
They do not use their garb as an obstacle to security checks. They do not want to impose on you their lifestyle, traditions and superstitions. They do not use their clothing to blow themselves up and other people.
18. to #17 acctualy they do, you see my unknolagable
ghostq   (07.14.10)
co TBer, in these clothes identifacation is very hard, especially when Muslim women also carry knives, and they do carry them.
19. very good indeed, none should talk
ghostq   (07.14.10)
to walking tents.
20. fining men, for those who know Arab culture
observer   (07.14.10)
Women will be more than willing to let her husband or her father to pay the fine even if he is against the veil. She thinks that that's a way of showing love to her, or a way of revenge!. The Majority of Muslim women who put on veils are Arab, that's another aspect of racial discrimination against ARABS.
21. Burqua ban. Great !
DT ,   TA Israel   (07.14.10)
The next should be all other EU countries ban the veil. Failure to comply should result in deportation and losing their citizenship.
22. Good French see cult coercion as wrong, now will we?
Josh   (07.14.10)
23. Great news
SM ,   UK   (07.14.10)
This is great news. Muslims who promote 'mediaeval values' should be given one way tickets to islamic dictatorships where they can live with like minded people. Accepting western democratic values should be a minimum requirement for citizenship. This includes tolerance for gays, women, religious minorities and many other groups who are persecuted throughout the muslim world. Some of the comments posted on this site miss the point it's what the burqa represents not the burqa itself that's the problem (aside from obvious security implications) Radical islam thrives on this type of backwardness and consequently poses a threat to any society where it's allowed to flourish.
24. #23 contradicts himself
observer   (07.15.10)
persecution based on religious and culture beliefs of minorities is also against western democratic values.
25. #1 neither about EU countries
observer   (07.18.10)
which deny religious and culture beliefs of the minorities?
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