French Parliament Bans the Burqa: News Roundup
This week, the French Parliament banned the burqa, Cordoba House gets more criticism and violence between Christians and Muslims breaks out in Nigeria.
France bans the burqa.
In a 335:1 vote, France’s lower house of Parliament passed a bill Tuesday to ban Muslim women from wearing burqas in public. It comes a year after parliament had a special commission investigate whether the garment was against French values. Since then, Belgium, Quebec, Australia and Italy have all proposed similar laws, (check out our previous blog posts on the burqa battles in all of these countries).
In a 335:1 vote, France’s lower house of Parliament passed a bill Tuesday to ban Muslim women from wearing burqas in public. It comes a year after parliament had a special commission investigate whether the garment was against French values. Since then, Belgium, Quebec, Australia and Italy have all proposed similar laws, (check out our previous blog posts on the burqa battles in all of these countries).
The French bill says that, “no one can, in the public space, wear clothing intended to hide the face” (New York Times). In reality, it will only affect 2,000 of a population of 64 million. The ban will go to the Senate in September, where it is expected to have no opposition, and will take effect next spring.
Opinion writers had much to say about the bill:
- Ronald P. Soker writes in the New York Times, “The final irony of this fabricated problem is that the law’s proponents, who see women wearing the niqab as oppressed victims, propose to punish the victim rather than the oppressor. A nearly all male legislature under the guise of public safety and protecting women’s dignity will deny a minority the right to choose how to dress.”
- An editorial from The Guardian is also against the bill, saying, “From now on if you see niqab in France, you are encouraged to believe by the state that it because the wearer has something to hide. There could be a bomb lurking underneath. Is this message of fear going to advance the harmony and understanding already in short supply in a multifaith society where 5 million citizens are Muslim?”
- On the contrary, Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian journalist tells Salon, “I support banning the burqa because I believe it equates piety with the disappearance of women.”
Cordoba House, the Islamic educational, cultural center and mosque that is planned to be built near Ground Zero (and which we’re in support of) received more attention this week. A hearing was held to determine whether the building where the center would be created warrants designation as a city landmark and should therefore be protected from development.
Republican Gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio testified against the construction of Cordoba House in the space and Peter King, ranking Republican on Homeland Security, agreed with Lazio, arguing for an investigation into the funding of the center. Mayor Bloomberg called such an investigation “un-American” (FOX News).
The Dallas Morning News weighs in, saying, “The people who frequent that mosque will not be forcing anyone else to worship there or to listen to their prayers. This is exactly what the First Amendment is meant to protect. People walk by all sorts of things on their way to and from Ground Zero, including profane and offensive graffiti. Having to walk by a beautiful mosque should be no more offensive than having to walk by the beautiful St. Paul's Chapel.”
Tanenbaum will continue supporting Cordoba House as it works to engage New York City’s Muslim community and promote understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.
Conflict in Nigeria.
The Muslim-Christian conflict in Nigeria reignited this week when 6 mosques and a church were destroyed, 8 people killed and 40 injured. The fighting broke out between Christian and Muslims youths over the building of a mosque in the town of Wukari. The co-president of the Nigeria Inter-Religion Council said Nigerians need to have more faith in interreligious dialogue and let go of their antagonistic beliefs of one another.
The Muslim-Christian conflict in Nigeria reignited this week when 6 mosques and a church were destroyed, 8 people killed and 40 injured. The fighting broke out between Christian and Muslims youths over the building of a mosque in the town of Wukari. The co-president of the Nigeria Inter-Religion Council said Nigerians need to have more faith in interreligious dialogue and let go of their antagonistic beliefs of one another.
Lastly, few more headlines to check out:
Chicago seminary hopes to join other faiths in training clergy Chicago Tribune