Today the full veil (the burqa) ban has been put into action. Two women have already been arrested for leaving their homes while covered. In addition to the burqa, France plans to ban the niqab next. The niqab covers all but the eyes.
One would imagine that something would need to be pretty "problematic" for an entire country to create a ban. However, it is interesting to consider the actual number of women who wear the full veil. According to a BBC News article on the Islamic veil in Europe, there are 50 million Muslims in France - only 2,000 women wear the veil.
Are these 2,000 women really that threatening? Or are people convinced that the European lifestyle is a one size fits all for the rest of the
population?
Sarkozy claims its because he cares about women's liberation - he claims the veil oppresses women and thus is "not welcome in France"
The man clearly just cares about Muslim women and their interests...
So much so that he also banned the wearing of the hijab (covers only the hair) in schools. The only time they could be legally worn within educational facilities is in universities. Obviously, this man cares a lot about Islamic women!
*eyes roll back into head*
Do I really think, for even a slight moment, that this man really cares about women's liberation? Nope! I truly believe that Islamophobia is a huge problem, one that many do not want to talk about. We have countries in Europe and North America that run governments that pretend to "care" about women's liberation in order to legitimize their invasion of basic human rights. I mean, why do European rulers of the dominant class get to dictate everyone else's reality?
Everyone thinks we have come along way in regards to racism and ethnocentrism, but it's clear in popular culture, government buildings and even other religious institutions that Islamic people are "bad." This causes the entire Muslim community to be misrepresented and stereotyped in the media.
What kind of progress is that?
BBC News read more about the veil in other European countries
