French President Nicolas Sarkozy says there is no place for full face and body veils such as the burqa, or for the debasement of women, in France. Sarkozy claims that all beliefs will be respected in France but says “becoming French means adhering to a form of civilization, to values, to morals.” In a speech…
The federal government has turned down the proposal of a Toronto-based Islamic organization to introduce legislation prohibiting Canadian female individuals from wearing niqabs and burqas. The Muslim Canadian Congress had called upon the Stephen Harper’s Conservative government to ban the wearing of niqabs and burqas in all public dealings by introducing new laws. Studying all…
Ismahane Chouder and Monique Crinon of the Feminist Collective for Equality (Collectif des féministes pour l’égalité) explained to the parliamentary commission led by André Geron that they say the burqa in France is hostile to women’s rights. However, Chouder and Crinon did not advocate a burqa ban, noting that “We have a tendency in our…
French sociologist and historian of secularism, Jean Baubérot, explained to a parliamentary meeting on the burqa and niqab in France that a ban is untenable as it would be inefficient and complicated to enforce. Bauberot noted that a ban would further ostracize the French Muslim community, even if many of its members are also against…
The Conseil Français du Culte Musulman (CFCM or the French Council of the Muslim Faith) have taken a position on the wearing of burqas in France, claiming that while they critique the practice, the do not condemn it. They are opposed a possible ban on the burqa in France, pointing to how the commission has…
