French lower house approves Muslim veil ban

Oh well, it looks as if the French are one step closer to having the veil ban approved, as now the bill which was passed today needs to go before the Senate later this year.

My question is, what are the women who are forced to wear these ridiculous costumes by their male “superiors” going to do this fall should the veil ban become law? They only have three options: leave the country, avoid going out in public or disobey their husbands. There is a fourth option: convince their spouses that it’s time for change. Of course I’m assuming that no rational woman chooses to wear these cloth-bags on her own accord. But then again, being rational and religious don’t go hand in hand… TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

Tue Jul 13, 11:19 am ET

PARIS (AFP) – The French lower house of parliament voted by a crushing majority on Tuesday to approve a bill which would ban Muslim women from wearing a full-face veil in public.

The legislation was passed by 335 votes to one in the 577-seat National Assembly, with President Nicolas Sarkozy’s right-wing majority voting in favour while the Socialists and Communists abstained.

Socialist lawmakers had spoken out against a total ban on the veil in streets and public spaces, arguing that this risks being thrown out by French judges or the European court and handing victory to “fundamentalists”.

The bill will now go before the Senate upper house in September.

About The Great One

Am interested in science and philosophy as well as sports; cycling and tennis. Enjoy reading, writing, playing chess, collecting Spyderco knives and fountain pens.
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2 Responses to French lower house approves Muslim veil ban

  1. thomthumb84 says:

    Hi! I wrote a piece on this topic sometime ago. If your interested in reading it you can find it at: http://tinyurl.com/34dv9eo

    Would appreciate you opinion.

    thom

    • TGO says:

      Very good article. The way I see it this is a complicated issue and arguments could be made both in favor and against the veil ban.

      Being that I’m an atheist and oppose anything that is imposed on individuals by religious dogma, I was originally opposed to the wearing of these bee-keeper suits, as in my view they are demeaning and demoralizing to the women wearing them. My feeling is that it is women and children that suffer the consequences of religious fanatics the most, as they are dominated by their fanatical male counterparts.

      Most recently, however, I have changed my opinion with respect to the veil ban, mainly because in my opinion the wearing of these outfits does not do “actual” harm to society at large. In other words, the only “damage” is to the individual wearing this type of clothing. Unfortunately, as stated above, it is women and children who suffer the most as a result of religious dogma. And the way I see it, only time and education will relieve society of the backwardness of religious beliefs, such as the wearing of these cloth-bags by Muslim women.

      These veil ban laws being imposed throughout western Europe will really do nothing to liberate Muslim women from the clutches of their husbands or the fanaticism of their faith. It is their faith that is at the core of the problem, the garb these women wear is just a by-product of that faith. Although not a popular view for sure, what needs to be attacked is the faith itself, which is at the core of the entire issue. Destroy this foundation and the whole religious structure collapses, including the full-face veils, the suicide bombers, the jihads, etc.

      I realize that I have somewhat digressed from the issue at hand, but as I stated earlier this is a complicated matter. In short, the passing of laws will not change the mindset of these people, and it is the mindset that is the problem. The veil ban laws are barely affecting the very tip of the iceberg, and more importantly will not lead to the destruction of the iceberg, which I believe is the intent of the proposed laws.

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