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Ok, I have to get this off my chest. That whole picture Americans have of Europe being this sophisticated, socially progressive, liberal paradise that the US can only aspire to? Bull f*ing shit!!
Whatever one says about the United States - and a lot could be said - here's two things that are still legal: Minarets and burkhas!
You may not have caught on to the subtle tone of disagreement in the previous statements, so I shall be more explicit. I cannot believe that in the 21st century a so-called democracy believes it is acceptable to pass a law telling its citizens what they can and cannot wear.
Let's call a spade a spade. This is a blatant Islamaphobic law, born of bigotry and suspicion of Muslims. There have been multiple other arguments put forward in its favour, but I call bullshit on all of them:
1. "Security" : Apparently the French government thinks it is under imminent threat from terrorists disguised in burkhas. Now I have never been to France but I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that a burkha clad person kind of stands out on the streets of Paris - just a little. Not something terrorists are aiming for actually.
2. "It's for their own good" : This is the most annoyingly bigoted, condescending, culturally arrogant argument of all. So you assume that every one of your citizens wearing an outfit you disapprove of are doing so only because they are being forced to do it by scary patriarchs. And your solution is to stigmatize and humiliate these citizens as a means to "save them"?
3. "Social integration" : Don't make me laugh. No quicker way to alienate an entire community than by disrespecting their religion, insulting their women and declaring their customs "not welcome".
For you culturally tone-deaf people, let me explain how this sounds to the Muslim world: there are women who have gone around their entire life covered from head to foot. Who have never had an unrelated man look at their faces. Telling these women to now walk the street without their niqabs is like forcing an average American woman to walk around with her shirt off. How do you think "France forces American women to go topless!" would play in the United States? Don't forget to factor in the strong cultural attitude about women's "modesty" and "honour". And the general view of the west as morally corrupt. All this to change the sartorial habits of about 2000 out of more than 60 million people? Really? Maybe Sarkozy was secretly aiming to radicalize more Muslims?
An amusing side-effect - since the law needs to appear non-bigoted all kinds of face covering are banned. So I guess even if you're feeling cold, no balaclava for you!
