Sarkozy: Burqas 'Not Welcome' In France

President Supports Ban Of Full-Body Muslim Gown In Rare Address To Joint Session Of Parliament

(AP)  President Nicolas Sarkozy lashed out Monday at the practice of wearing the Muslim burqa, insisting the full-body religious gown is a sign of the "debasement" of women and that it won't be welcome in France.

The French leader expressed support for a recent call by dozens of legislators to create a parliamentary commission to study a small but growing trend of wearing the full-body garment in France.

In the first presidential address in 136 years to a joint session of France's two houses of parliament, Sarkozy laid out his support for a ban even before the panel has been approved - braving critics who fear the issue is a marginal one and could stigmatize Muslims in France.

"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 in a speech 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."

In France, the terms "burqa" and "niqab" often are used interchangeably. The former refers to a full-body covering worn largely in Afghanistan with only a mesh screen over the eyes, whereas the latter is a full-body veil, often in black, with slits for the eyes.

Later Monday, Sarkozy was expected to host a state dinner with Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Al Thani of Qatar. Many women in the Persian Gulf state wear Islamic head coverings in public - whether while shopping or driving cars.

France enacted a law in 2004 banning the Islamic headscarf and other conspicuous religious symbols from public schools, sparking fierce debate at home and abroad. France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, an estimated 5 million people.

A government spokesman said Friday that it would seek to set up a parliamentary commission that could propose legislation aimed at barring Muslim women from wearing the head-to-toe gowns outside the home.

The issue is highly divisive even within the government. France's junior minister for human rights, Rama Yade, said she was open to a ban if it is aimed at protecting women forced to wear the burqa.

But Immigration Minister Eric Besson said a ban would only "create tensions."

A leading French Muslim group warned against studying the burqa.

[undisclosed001]

its funny how u all sit there talking about how Islam degrades women or even the burqa when everyday hundreds of women get raped and harassed in ur country....what respect do u show ur women wen u take them out with their bodies half or literally all exposed for other men to prey on?..is this wat u call freedom for ur sisters, wives and daughters????
if any of u had such respect and true love for ur fellow women then ud encourage them to cover themselves as God has made women precious in soo many ways....its not for her to display herself out there and let her body be used as some sort of sex object.
yes thats exactly how most westerners (not all) treat ur females...i mean when it comes to advertising and so many things u use there bodies as a form of sex object to attract men....in what sence is this a form of dignity and respect u show us women???
the french government loves to prey on women himself therefore hes afraid incase the covering spreads he'll have no one to prey on....i understand where people r cummin from when u use the argument that ppl could be hidin weapons but why punish all when one silly man who was NOT a muslim did the wrong act?

Why ridicule the religion when most have no clue wat its about.
Its coz we dont noe the meaning of life and we have lost all forms of respect and modesty....we?re more or less becoming so use to doing the wrong that when a religion that comes forth which preaches good, honesty, peace and love is ridiculed as a religion that spreads hate and disrespect. If only we knew the meaning of such terms then we'd not sit here an argue on such pathetic issues

[mypatch]

What is he doing? He is going to force the fathers and husbands to ban their women from ever going out in public. He's not doing the women a favor! He's going to make prisoners of them. This is a tradition that will soon come to an end if you leave it alone. Did he think about this before he enacted this law?

[YrSoWrong]

The boys of the CBS Coward Squad should all wear burqas. It will make them look as tough as Arab women (which they really aren't).

[gravyboat3000]

grayfrier...One incident? And these guys weren't even muslims, what's next, some losers dress up as nuns and attempt to rob a bank? Resulting in banning any type of religious dress?

I'm sorry for the officer, and his family, but this wasn't a case of muslim violence, so why go after them?

Again, I'm not defending the burqa, I'm just saying where does it stop?

Hasidic Jews being forced to shave their beards?

This is Muslim targeting, nothing more.

And how many women in France even where the damn thing?

[grayfrier]

gravyboat3000
Here is the link for you to read so you can read about it yourself
http://www.odmp.org/officer/19359-sergeant-stephen-liczbinski

[revlin1]

THANK GOD some country is getting sensible on this issue. enuf is enuf already. Ask hubby regarding this issue...he cannot even relax in crowds after his almost 4 yrs inside Iraq...back to back tours...he finds crowds (even those NOT DRESSED UP AND COVERED) a BIG problem. He will find the French president refreshing and FINALLY.

[oftencensord]

Wow, how embarrassing for France, look pretty foolish SarkoZi.
First of all who made you the authority on religious clothing and expression? And isn't banning a religious outfit PERSECUTION ?
It just exemplifies the "western" arrogance towards beliefs, cultures, social standing, that does meet today's pop values.... which by the way has been issued to most people by the entertainment industry and advertising.

If wearing a burqa means you are not giving permission to look upon women as a sexual object, a man's play thing, then who is really debasing women... France ?

[legacyabq]

western arrogance towards what beliefs? The beliefs in Muslim countries? Um, a big NO there, oftencensord (BTW, dont kid yourself with your name, your not important enough for anybody to BOTHER censoring you.. How did your ego get so big?)..

The prez of France is talking about HIS COUNTRY not some muslim country.. Cant you see? This is about the values of the WEST, IN THE WEST. Where does it say that he said people cant wear burqas in their own country?It doesnt..

YOU are saying essentially that the WEST is NOT ALLOWED to have ITS OWN VALUES. You are saying that we are required to adopt to others' values, BUT THEY AREN'T REQUIREDTO ADOPT OURS!!

Why is that? Why the inconsistency? Are not we also a society?Do we not have the right to our own values? Why is it OK for people to force their values on us, and then you cry out for them, for us to accept them, and then insult the West as "arrogant"?

What country do you live in exactly? Can I come there and tell you all your traditions are wrong and stupid? SHould I sue you in your courts to MAKE YOU conform, to MY idea of culture, AS A FOEIGNER TO YOUR LAND???????????????????????

Answer that if you can!!

[babooph]

Swat teams often hide their faces -are they debased ?

[legacyabq]

p.s. we are talking about people who literally murder women with rocks if they are suspected of looking at a man the wrong way.

Murderers and bloodthirsty savages!

[legacyabq]

Oh yeah, one more thing..

RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING!! None of this would be happening if it wasnt for a bunch of mullahs and "clerics" pointing at the sky and saying an invisible MAN, yes MAN, up there will get you if you dont do what we tellyou..

How pathetic that after centuries of bloodshed, unhappiness, war, torture, murder, etc etc etc, people STILL insist on believing in their pathetic invisible sky-gods, and using those beliefs to harm each other INSTEAD OF LIVING AND WORKING TOGETHER IN PEACE TO ENJOY THIS ONE CHANCE AT LIFE WE ALL GET!!

We could be happy if it wasn't for the delusions!!

[legacyabq]

1notrub11 makes a great point.. Can you imagine going to a muslim country and saying "hey, in MY country I can wear a T-shirt that says down wite thh mohammed"?Of course not! You would be in a place with different traditions, which do not include freedom of expression..

Soultion? DONT GO THERE!!

And if you DO go there, you obey the local customs!k
EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS.. It is the wise traveller who adopts local custom. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

What makes these people think that they dont have to show their face at the DMV?? I DO, AND SO DO ALL OF YOU

FINGERPRINTS< PICTURE< ETC ETC

Why is this OK to cover your face?? its BS plain and simple..

AND ANOTHER THING::

These muslims have confused their CULTURE with their RELIGION.

The covering of women is an ARAB thing, not a muslim thing.

WHERE, for example, in the bible does it say that a man should run the church and wear a funny hat? (the pope).. It doesn't.. This is man-made cultural tradition, in the case of burqas, it is literally MAN made!!

This is such BS.. Everyone is expected to behave according to the rules of the society they happen to find themselves in.. WHY ON EARTH do these people go to a western country and then insist on importing their bizzare female-oppressing, mysoginistic practices??

Head scarf? No problem.. They stand out a little, but hey people wear hats right? But in the West, we dont COVER OUR WOMEN IN STIFLING BLACK COVERS, so go back where you came from if you dont like it!

[1notrub11]

I personally think the burqa is a form of repression and find it distasteful. I am not certain that universally banning it is necessary, although there are limited points to be made on the security side.

However, when it comes to obeying local laws and allowing for normal registration activities such as passports or IDs, etc., those wearing burqas have no option in my opinion. Obey the local rules or get out. Just because you immigrated to a country you are not free to impose your religious habits and the like on the locals nor does it allow you to scream individual rights, in the face of local policies, law or even tradition. You don't see Saudi Arabia changing their laws to accommodate anyone else.
The question of whether or not there has been violence directly related to wearing such garb is not relevant and has nothing to do with paranoia.

[tmittelstaed]

Facial identification is rapidly becoming a requirement for security, it's one of the few things that works well. It's not easy to identify if a potential bad guy walks into a place wearing gloves - but it's immediate if his or her face is covered. If I run a bank I can post a sign at the door stating that no one is permitted inside wearing ski masks, motorcycle helmets, burquas or any other gear that covers the face, with no problem for my customers - then if someone walks in wearing one of these things the guard can stop them at the door.
If Muslum countries want to permit burquas then fine - they can deal with the after effects. The fact is that while there's no record right now of anyone in France wearing a burqua committing a crime, there have been many many documented instances of suicide bombers in mid-east countries who were dressed as women - in countries where a burqua is a requirement for women - so it's only a matter of time here.
When wearing an item of clothing is a requirement for anything beyond hygene, it becomes objectionable.

[dragyn30]

It's about time!!!!

I am glad Sarkozy finally took the initiative to stand up for what these really mean! Imprisonment!!

These garments pose a safety threat as no one knows who or what is underneath!

I hope America follows suit and quickly. I do not disrespect head covering for religious purposes, but some of this Muslim garb obscures a person's identity which is a threat to all. Sorry folks the terrorists have brought this upon you!

[gravyboat3000]

by mym82 June 22, 2009 12:07 PM PDT
How can anyone say this is unnecessary? Any one could be behind that garment and could also be carrying any kind of weapon. Yes, they should be banned everywhere!
______

Please, as I asked earlier, has there been any incidents of violence by someone wearing a burqa in Europe or the United States?

Ya'll are paranoid.

What's next, force Hasidic Jews to cut their beards and curls..."we don't know who is under that black hat, and he could be carrying a gun in that birds nest he calls a beard"

[grayfrier]

Yes there has in 2007 a Woman/Man in this type of clothing shot and killed a Police Officer while trying to escape capture after robbing a Bank branch here in Philadelphia.
His name was Steven Liczbinski and it was after a fellow Police Officer shot and killed the POI was it discovered that She was really a He.
There is your Incident and there have been others as well all you need do is Google it.

[government_control]

Sarkozy is correct. Now if only he would call michelle obama for the ugly beast she is.

[John_Merritt]

Now that was below the belt. Michelle O. may have her faults but she is a special person who has shown the human side of a President's wife unlike some before her. I loved both Bush women, Hillary was great; actually many of the wives were more representative of America than their husbands.

[dekooning2]

Once you go down that "freedom of religion" route they never stop. Here in Toronto burqa wearers will not show their faces when voting, testifying in court or when
questioned by authorities and with their probono lawyers, challenge endlessly in courts proceedings.If women can't show their hair or bare arms in muslim societies then we can't tolerate those godawful ugly monstrosities here. Allah willing.

[mym82]

How can anyone say this is unnecessary? Any one could be behind that garment and could also be carrying any kind of weapon. Yes, they should be banned everywhere!

[bobnjersey]

[President Nicolas Sarkozy lashed out Monday at the practice of wearing the Muslim burqa, insisting the full-body religious gown is a sign of the "debasement" of women and that it won't be welcome in France. ]

so ... now that stock in the french burqa industry has tanked ... what's his bail out plan for all the burqa manufacturers?

[trapbreaking]

(AP) Dutch police have arrested twin brothers on suspicion of robbery after their alleged victim spotted a picture of them following him on Google's Street View map application, a spokesman said Friday.

They should have been wearing their burqas.

[mswolfestock]

Good for Sarkozy. I agree that the burqua is not a religious symbol but a symbol of repression. If Muslim women want to hide themselves from head to toe then they should stay in their Muslim-controlled countries. Why should the Muslims go to any other western country and cling to their repression. I thought the whole idea of Muslims going to Western countries was for them to escape repression and to live with the freedom to choose how to live and what to wear.

I also agree that it should be banned for security reasons because they could hide just about anything underneath one of those things.