Lizzy Davies; 21/6/09
France’s ability to reconcile secularism with religious diversity is under fresh scrutiny after the Government said it would not rule out banning women from wearing the full Islamic veil, the burqa. Five years after a law was passed forbidding children from wearing the headscarf or any other “conspicuous” religious symbol in schools, the Government indicated it was prepared for another thorny row over the state’s right to tell individuals what not to wear. Speaking a day after a group of MPs requested an inquiry into the “degrading” use of the burqa and niqab, Government spokesman Luc Chatel said it was important to establish to what extent women’s rights were being compromised.
See: http://www.theage.com.au/world/france-may-outlaw-the-burqa-as-degrading-20090620-crw6.html
Burqa
A burqa (also transliterated burkha, burka or burqua) is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the purpose of cloaking the entire body. It is worn over the usual daily clothing (often a long dress or a shalwar kameez) and removed when the woman returns to the sanctuary of the household (see purdah). Many Muslims believe that the Islamic holy book, the Qur’an, and the collected traditions of the life of Muhammed, or hadith, require both men and women to dress and behave modestly in public. However, this requirement, called hijab, has been interpreted in many different ways by Islamic scholars (ulema) and Muslim communities (see Women and Islam); the burqa is not specifically mentioned in the Quran.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burqa
Tags: France, Muslim, Womens Rights
France gives liberty to woman kill their own babies but do not gives the liberty to express their religion. Sad world.