Uncovering conflicting identities
James Button; 25/7/08
The case is the talk of France. The highest administrative court has denied a woman citizenship because she wears a burqa, the head-to-toe covering that shows only the eyes, sometimes not even them. Faiza Silmi, a 32-year-old Moroccan who lives on a housing estate south of Paris, said she applied for citizenship because she wanted to be like her husband, Karim, a Frenchman of Moroccan background, and their four children. But on June 27 the State Council denied her request on the grounds of “insufficient assimilation”. In the name of religious radicalism, the court said, she had adopted a practice “incompatible with the essential values of the French community — notably the principle of equality of the sexes”.
See: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/uncovering-conflicting-identities-20080724-3kh5.html
Tags: Europe, Religion, Womens Rights