PARIS — President Nicolas Sarkozy said the Muslim burqa would not be welcome in France, calling the full-body religious gown a sign of the “debasement” of women.
In the first presidential address to parliament in 136 years, Sarkozy faced critics who fear the burqa issue could stigmatize France’s Muslims and said he supported banning the garment from being worn in public.
“In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity,” Sarkozy said to extended applause at the Chateau of Versailles, southwest of Paris.
“The burqa is not a religious sign, it’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement _ I want to say it solemnly,” he said. “It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.”
MY TAKE:
I agree with Sarkozy and the Frenchmen who agree with him on the level of feeling uncomfortable with the way they look and I see how it could create suspicion. But on the other hand I don't see how it's right to ban burqas alltogether. The only women they are "debasing", if that's even what is being done, are themselves. If they wish to be "prisoners", then they should be. Why do others need to tell them how to dress? Perhaps in private institutions people can place certain dresscode restrictions on patrons, but really, this isn't right.
No comments:
Post a Comment