Prejudice. Wrote a Blog About It. Like to Hear It? Here It Goes...

Just when you start to think that the US is the only "progressive" country whose government is taking steps backward...you come across laws like the recently passed burqa ban in France. Wow, France. Really?!  This is a blatant dig at the Muslim community, and I personally am offended...even though I'm not French...or a Muslim. But I am a woman...and I'm offended.

Now the other part of the law about not being able to force a woman to cover her face is fine by me. I think that should be the case across the board and it should be enforced, in fact. Women should only wear veils/burqas/hijabs of their own volition. But to ban veils completely? What in the name of Allah happened to the freedom of religion? Last time I checked, it was 2011.

‘Interior Minister Claude Gueant insisted the ban would be enforced, in the name of "secularism and equality between men and women... two principles upon which we cannot compromise."’

Secularism and equality, huh? I beg to differ. Perhaps he doesn’t know that the spirit of secularism implies a separation between church and state. Additionally, if the government were truly pushing for equality, wouldn't they allow these women to make the “to veil or not to veil” choice on their own? I am not so much a proponent of women's lib, per se (not that I’m against it, obviously). What I am a proponent of is equality and the right to choose. I think that's what's really overlooked too frequently when discussing the "liberation" of women. I'm all for women going out and becoming CEO's of Fortune 500 companies...if that's what they choose to do. I'm also all for women staying home to be mothers or housewives...if that's what they choose to do. Hell, I'm all for women in burqas and bikins...if that's what they choose to do.

  

 There is a very fine line between giving people the freedom to do something and creating laws that make people do something. How can anyone support a law that is supposedly meant to enforce equality, but takes away women’s freedom of choice (and in this case, also their freedom of religion)? This is a sad state of affairs, people.

This law has obvious prejudicial undertones. It sounds like Sarkozy is willing to be a real cooze in order to secure the conservative vote. All in the name of the presidency, right? Vive La France? Psht! Vive La Résistance! If the French government wants to prove its progressiveness and truly free women from these "signs of enslavement" (brilliant quote from Sarkoozy - pun intended), they should lift this ban. Soon. Before everyone else in the world starts to think that ignorant shit like this is okay (like band wagoner Italy).

Click here to educate yourself about the burqa.

Click here to read more about the burqa ban.

Click here to read about the two arrests that occurred yesterday as fallout from the ban.

Click here to read response from actual French Muslim women that are affected by this abomination.

Here is the source for the Gueant quote.

Here is the source for the lovely image seen above.*

*Disclaimer: The image shown in today's post is not intended to mock or disrespect any aspect of the Muslim culture or religion. This is simply a tongue in cheek example of my opinion that women should have the right to choose; I mean no offense.