Burkha in France: Marginal.

 

Not ‘Must-Have’ Beach-Wear this Summer.

In Paris a parliamentary committee, headed by Communist André Gérin, is examining the question of the Burkha (or burqa). From an inquiry it has become in reality a ‘study group’. The reality of its object?   The French Police (interior information service) estimate that only 367 women wear the full body veil – burkha or niqab –  in France (here).

“Pour les policiers de la SDIG, le port du voile intégral s’apparente à une volonté de “provoquer la société, voire sa famille”, à un militantisme affiché, issu du salafisme.”

For the Police of the SDIG being completely veiled stems from a wish to “provoke society, or one’s family”, and is a badge of militancy, of Salafist origins.”

In an Editorial (29.7.09) le Monde  asks,

Doit-on légiférer pour moins de 400 personnes, légiférer pour une exception ? Faut-il ajouter une loi à la pile de textes de circonstance déjà votés par le législateur ? Compte tenu des risques – dont la stigmatisation de l’islam, qui pourrait offrir à la burqa une fausse image libératrice -, la réponse est non.

Should one legislate for less than than 400 people, legislate for an exception? Must one add yet another law to the pile of texts already voted through by the legislature? Taking account of the risks – such as the stigmatisation of Islam, which could give wearing the Burkha a false liberating image  – the reply is No.

I would tend to agree. But the intimidation of non-burkha wearing Muslim females (like that against non-veiled) is a problem. The veil in all its forms is an oppression. But this is even more deeply reactionary: the root being that non-veiled women are unclean meat. There remains an issue about putting anyone in a position of authority who is basically saying to uncovered women that they are impure and that men are a source of danger.