French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared in a speech today that the burqa is not welcome in France.  Saying “In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity,” Sarkozy continued, “The burqa is not a religious sign, it’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement.  I want to say it solemnly, it will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.”

Sarkozy’s comments highlight an ongoing attitude in France that treats overt religious symbols, particularly from other cultures, as an affront to the society. In 2004 a law was passed banning headscarves, yarmulkes and large Christian crosses from French public schools.

From one multicultural Western democracy to another, I caution Mr. Sarkozy that this is entirely the wrong approach to pluralism.  While the burqa is certainly disturbing to those of us who believe in full and equal rights for women, how one dresses needs to be up to the individual. A society cannot clamp down and tell people how to think on matters like this.  If a woman wants to wear a burqa, that’s up to her - and if  she wants to take it off, that’s her choice as well. Such micromanaging by politicians like Sarkozy will never bring true assimiliation of France’s Muslim community - the largest in Western Europe - and frankly seems as though it could be an attempt to score cheap political points at the expense of a minority.

LINKS:

LA Times: Sarkozy: Burqas not welcome in France

Daily Telegraph (UK): Nicolas Sarkozy: burqa not welcome in France

CBS News: Sarkozy: Burqas ‘Not Welcome’ In France