… Et stupidité:
President Jacques Chirac called on Wednesday for a law banning Muslim headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses from French state schools.
“In all conscience, I consider that the wearing of dress or symbols which conspicuously show religious affiliation should be banned in schools,” he said in a televised speech on the long controversy over the role of religion in French public life.
“For that, a law is necessary,” he added, urging parliament to pass legislation for the new school year in September 2004.
Great solution there, Jacques – let’s pretend racism doesn’t exist by covering it up and banning it. Sure.
I don’t get this. Muslims, Jews, and Christians are not asking for curriculum changes to match their beliefs. That would go against secularism (a new religion in and of itself judging from this bullshit). Isn’t the point of liberal democracy and rights and freedoms to allow people to wear hijab and kippot and crosses and turbans and whatever the hell else they want to wear?
Frighteningly, I have to agree with Hanthala on this one.
There must be private schools in France, right? Since there is absolutely no way girls will stop wearing hijabs, isn’t the only effect of this going to be to direct the relatively functional female half of the French Muslim population to madrassas? Or to push them out of school entirely?
And where will the money for these new schools come — from those moderate, tolerant Muslims we’re always hearing about or from the Saudis (who no longer have a Taliban to fund)? This whole thing strikes me as a potential disaster.
“Great solution there, Jacques – let’s pretend racism doesn’t exist by covering it up and banning it. Sure.”
Funny, because that’s EXACTLY how Hate Speech Laws work.
Not to mention what’ll happen to the Jews in those highly indoctrinating Jewish madrassas. Gotta agree with Otter.
Er, Jews don’t have madrassas.
Anyway I agree, this is about the dumbest possible thing for Chirac to do. But then, what else can we expect now from the French, who have shown themsleves more than willing to appease terrorists like Saddam, but can’t tolerate someone wearing a headscarf. I mean, what’s up with that?
Jews don’t have schools?
I think it’s good that the followers of the the false religion of Islam get a taste of their own medicine! When Christians, Jews and other religions have the right to practice their religion freely in oppresive Muslim countries then I’ll have sympathy for them. Until then they should shut or go back where they came from.
Oh, nice one Malia. Real nice. Let’s become more like oppressive countries that deny their citizens their rights and freedoms. Uhuh.
I was making a point about how most Arab/Muslim countries oppress other religions. Now they know how it feels to be on the receiving end of religious discrimination and it doesn’t feel good.
My cousin who was stationed in Saudi Arabia wasn’t allowed to receive a Bible our any other Christian materials. If Muslims living in the West demand religious freedom, which they have, then they should demand that their countries of orgin give the same freedoms to other religions.
I don’t agree with the French in this case because it’s facist to ban any religious clothing. People should be allowed to wear what they want period. I’m just tired of the Muslim hypocracy and that was my point!
I thought that Jaques Chirac was meant to be the non-fascist alternative to Le Pen. Well… its seems as if he is just as fascist with this lovely new law. What next? Will they force-feed Jewish and Muslim kids bacon every day in school?
All this from a country at the heart of the European Union – Disgraceful!