Muslims protest at headscarf ban

[tiger_rascal]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/01/17/france.headscarves/index.html

Muslims protest at headscarf ban

Saturday, January 17, 2004 Posted: 11:55 PM EST (0455 GMT)

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Hundreds of Muslims protested in Paris, London and other cities Saturday against the French government's plan to ban religious symbols -- including headscarves -- from state schools.

The proposed ban, which has not been ratified by the French government, would take effect with the new school year in September and includes Sikh turbans, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crucifixes.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Paris' Place de la Republic, chanting and carrying placards calling on French President Jacques Chirac's government to reject the ban.

In London, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the French Embassy to oppose the ban on the Muslim hijab, or headscarf.

"The hijab is a freedom, our right," said an organizer of the protest. "It is not a symbol."

She rejected the claims of some people that the hijab is a symbol of women's oppression, saying instead that the law itself would oppress Muslim women.

Men and women protested separately in London, carrying signs proclaiming that "secularism has failed the world" and chanting for "female dignity" and an end to "secular vanity."

Protests were also held in other cities in France and around the world, including Nice and Toulouse, France; Amman, Jordan; Istanbul, Turkey; and Beirut, Lebanon.

Media reports indicated that Sikh populations in France were planning protests later this month.

[db44]

You beat me to it Chad. :p

I posted this in General News too, in case anyone wants to see the more secular take on this as well.

As I said there, either ban all or nothing. The size of the crucifix should not matter, they all have to go for this law to be just. I'm not sure how I feel about it otherwise. As much of a hindrence as I believe organized is to humankind, I don't know if this law has any value in society, except to upset people.

[bluehorizonx10]

I can't see any worth to the law whatsoever. It's only to shame or repress an individual for their faith or their respect for their faith.I just can't see a problem any of this could be causing in school since they have always been accustomed to the extras for certain students. It's what the world is ocming to.......very sad indeed.

[Earl Purple]

Sorry, they can't ban anything - it's against basic Human Rights Laws, and will be overturned in the European Union court (France is part of the European Union).

It's tantamount to former Communist Russia banning people from keeping their religions and forcing secularism upon everybody.

[db44]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/...ope/3406969.stm

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has criticised worldwide protests against plans to ban Islamic headscarves from state schools.

Mr Sarkozy said the protests at the government proposals would only promote tension, misunderstandings and anger.

Around 5,000 mainly Muslim marchers took part in a demonstration in Paris, which was fewer than expected.

There were also rallies elsewhere in France and Europe, the Middle East and in Indian-administered Kashmir.

President Jacques Chirac announced a ban on overtly religious symbols in schools last month after an official report into state secularism.

Many of France's five million Muslims see it as an attack on their religious and human rights.

"When I came here, they told me France was the land of human rights. I found out it's the opposite," said 30-year-old Algerian-born Kawtar Fawzy at the Paris protest.

Apart from the Islamic headscarf, the ban - scheduled to be enacted before the next academic year in France - would also affect the Jewish skullcap, big crucifixes and Sikh turbans.

The government proposed the new law as a measure to safeguard France's secular tradition.

'Radicals'

"It is only through dialogue, the path of compromise and mutual respect that each person can find his place in the republic," said Mr Sarkozy in response to the marches.

Mainstream Muslim groups had distanced themselves from the action, advocating instead continued dialogue with the government.

The demonstrations in Paris and other French cities were organised by a small group, the Party of French Muslims (PMF), which is regarded by many in France as a radical Islamist organisation, the BBC's Alan Little reports from Paris.

An estimated 2,400 opponents of the ban rallied in London, where there was also a small counter-demonstration.

Outside the capital cities, including Brussels where about 1,000 protesters appeared, the largest demonstrations were held in the French regions. There were small rallies, too, in the Middle East.

An estimated 3,500 marched in Lille, 1,800 in Marseille, 1,500 in Mulhouse and hundreds in other French cities, police and organisers said.