By John R. Bowen Headscarves are back in the headlines in France this year. Now the scarves are collectively called le voile (the veil), suggesting a full facial covering, rather than, more accurately, foulards islamiques (Islamic scarves), the term used in past years. The stakes have been raised since 1989, when the scarves first sparked…
For Moroccans to demonstrate against French President Jacques Chirac’s decision of banning the veil as a religious symbol at schools, it reflects a religious position more than a political one. Although it is difficult to reduce the Islamic issue to the wearing of the veil, or not, it is obvious that extremist circles in France,…
Perhaps no other issue has stirred as much controversy both inside and outside France as the recent decision to ban the veil in French public schools. In the heat of the passions this issue has ignited over the conflict between Islam and the West and western racism against Arabs and Muslims, it was easy to…
Qatar’s Al-Jazeera satellite TV did not mean to defy France by choosing its only veiled presenter to interview French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, editor Ibrahim Hilal said Thursday.
At every stage of the visit of French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dominique De Villepin, to each of Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, the question about the law France is intending to adopt in order to ban the religious symbols, including headscarves in schools and the workplace was raised. Some people in the…
