   Sarkozy speaks out against burka
  French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said that burqas are "not welcome" in France. Part of me applauds his courage to speak his mind. Burqas are a symbol of Islamic oppression of women, but OTOH another part of me is gravely concerned about a government prescribing what people can or can't wear. While I personally find the burqa distasteful, no one is forcing me to wear one. It's possible that there are Muslim women in France who are being forced to wear it, but I suspect that the majority of them participate willingly.   
  Yeh, fair enough speaking out against people who force people to wear things... but forcing people not to wear things is stooping to their level, not to mention insulting to people who *choose* to wear it.   ;  so he must die now. How he dares speaking against something sacred?btw, isn't sarkozy also the name of a desease?   ;Quote:Original post by owlso he must die now.It's sad that I don't know if you're joking or not...;Quote:Original post by HodgmanQuote:Original post by owlso he must die now.It's sad that I don't know if you're joking or not...Interestingly, when I type Sarkozy into the google bar in firefox, it suggests "sarkozy antichrist"... wtf?[grin]   ;  Are we talkin bacon cheese burkas, or like regular burkas..   ;Quote:Original post by HodgmanQuote:Original post by owlso he must die now.It's sad that I don't know if you're joking or not...yes it is.   ;Quote:Original post by bzroomAre we talkin bacon cheese burkas, or like regular burkas..I'm pretty sure the very concept of a bacon burka will have you sharing a flat with Salman Rushdie.   ;Quote:Original post by ChaosEngineFrench president Nicolas Sarkozy has said that burqas are "not welcome" in France. Part of me applauds his courage to speak his mind. Burqas are a symbol of Islamic oppression of women, but OTOH another part of me is gravely concerned about a government prescribing what people can or can't wear. While I personally find the burqa distasteful, no one is forcing me to wear one. It's possible that there are Muslim women in France who are being forced to wear it, but I suspect that the majority of them participate willingly.I support freedom of speech, religion, and expression, particularly in the United States, however I must acknowledge that we are not faced with the same difficulties as France. The French are free to tackle their own problems as they see fit, and hopefully they will strive to keep to the principles of personal liberty as close as possible. That said, you have to realize France has a very large Muslim population, one which it has been arguably more successful at integrating into mainstream society than nearby nations. I think the French correctly see fundamentalist Islamic cultural practices as more than just pockets of individual expression, but a growing, parallel culture not compatible with French society, refusing to adopt the basic tenets of French civilization, and extremely counterproductive to integration efforts. It's high time someone took a stand and called out these barbaric, Dark Age customs, while asserting the superiority of European values and freedoms.   ;Quote:Original post by trzyIt's high time someone took a stand and called out these barbaric, Dark Age customs, while asserting the superiority of European values and freedoms.Agreed, and at a gut level, I'd love to see him ban the burka. But that's a dangerous path. Right now, I happen to agree with/be not affected by this law. What happens when the government decides to ban something else they disagree with. There is a fundamental difference between asserting freedoms and values and imposing a ban. Society must ensure that women are not required to wear a burka, but equally they must be free to wear it (within reason, covering your face on a passport/drivers licence is ridiculous).While we're talking about barbaric customs, how come no one ever mentions infant male circumcision?   