http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\07\15\story_15-7-2009_pg3_5
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 comment: France and the Burqa -Daniel Jouanneau France is a country of religious freedom. Our ancestors fought very hard for that principle and it stands today as a crucial foundation of the French Republic. All religions are welcome, on an equal footing, and everybody is entitled to practice his or her faith Over the past two weeks, we have seen a significant number of opinions expressed in the Pakistani print media about the debate in France regarding the wearing of the burqa. Overall, the opinions expressed in those articles, sometime show a sense of surprise, but more often clear disapproval. What sparked those reactions? Three weeks ago, a member of the French National Assembly suggested that a parliamentary commission be set up to look into the new, but spreading, phenomenon of the burqa in France. His proposal received wide support among all political parties. President Nicolas Sarkozy then made a statement on the burqa, while addressing the two chambers of Parliament: "We cannot accept, in our country, women imprisoned behind a mesh, cut off from society, deprived of all identity. That is not the French Republic's idea of women's dignity. The burqa is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic." But President Sarkozy also stressed that "France must not fight the wrong battle. The Muslim religion must be respected in the country as much as other religions". The French show great respect for Islam, because France knows what Islam is, for a number of reasons. Islam is part of our history. France knows about the great Muslim civilisations through the work of renowned French scholars as well as because of strong bonds, dating back to the colonial period, with Muslim Northern and Sub-Saharan African states. Islam is also part of our geography: it is President Sarkozy's policy to expand to the greatest possible extent our partnerships with the Mediterranean countries, eight of which are members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Also, France is home to the largest Muslim population in Europe (5 million). There are around 2000 Muslim prayer rooms, and 12 great mosques. More mosques are being built. France is a country of religious freedom. Our ancestors fought very hard for that principle and it stands today as a crucial foundation of the French Republic. All religions are welcome, on an equal footing, and everybody is entitled to practice his or her faith. Free practice for every religion is not only allowed, but protected by the state: this is what we call secularism. The citizens' choice of religion is irrelevant for the state. This implies strict neutrality on the part of the state. It explains a piece of legislation that was at the time misunderstood in the Muslim world: the banning of conspicuous religious signs in state-run schools. What was it about? By banning signs such as a Christian cross, a Jewish kippa, a Sikh turban or a Muslim veil, from state-owned primary and secondary schools, Parliament intended that they remain a religiously neutral space for the children. It was never, and never will be, a general ban on religious signs. The hijab is allowed everywhere in public areas. It is perfectly allowed in universities, but not at school, because experience shows it is questionable whether the decision to wear a hijab constitutes a free choice for young girls. But let us come to the current debate. What will be studied by the newly created commission of the French National Assembly is the wearing of the integral veil, which even covers the eyes of a woman. The general perception in my country is that instead of being a sartorial choice, it is an instrument of oppression. That it is degrading for women and at complete odds with the tenets of equality on which modern society is based. One must also realise that wearing the burqa in a country like France creates practical problems. For instance, when a woman wants to obtain from the administration an identity card, but refuses to remove her burqa to have her photograph taken; or problems in the city halls during wedding ceremonies when the mayor, as he has to do it according to our law, asks the bride to take her burqa off, while the groom asks her to keep it on. For the willingness to marry to be checked, the faces of both the future husband and wife have to be seen. Difficulty also arises when a woman wearing a full veil faces an identity control by a policeman, but refuses to show her face because she cannot be seen uncovered by a man. Hiding the identity, rather than exposing it, poses greater security risk in this day and age. When celebrating the Bastille Day, the French also celebrate a core of values that has remained unchanged since July 14, 1789: liberty, equality, fraternity. Where is liberty for a woman prohibited by her husband, or brother, from having her face seen? Where is equality between men and women, a fundamental right for us? Where is fraternity, when communication with others is impeded? A debate is being initiated in France on the burqa. As we generally do in my country when we have to face a difficult and divisive challenge (in this case, divisive even within the French Muslim community and among Muslim women), we ask our Parliament to look into it and make recommendations. The members of the committee begin their six months' work without any prejudice. Will there be a ban, or no ban at all, or only a partial one? Will a law be deemed necessary or not? Nothing has been decided, everything is open. The writer is the French Ambassador to Pakistan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
