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Not from the Onion, and (though controversial in France), not necessarily a head-exploder here.

Anyway, to satisfy Colman's wish to see some noeuds, here's a Le Monde editorial:

La Burqa, symbole - Le Monde.fr The Burqa, a symbol - Le Monde.fr
L'affaire sur laquelle la haute juridiction a tranché tient en quelques mots : une Marocaine mariée à un Français et mère de trois enfants nés en France s'est vu refuser, en 2005, la nationalité française, au motif qu'elle porte la burqa et que cela constituerait un "défaut d'assimilation". Saisi en appel, le jugement du Conseil d'Etat tient, également, en quelques mots, manifestement pesés au trébuchet : cette femme "a adopté, au nom d'une pratique radicale de sa religion, un comportement en société incompatible avec les valeurs essentielles de la communauté française et notamment le principe d'égalité des sexes".The case on which the high court ruled takes few words to relate: a Moroccan woman married to a Frenchman, mother of three children born in France, was refused French nationality in 2005, on the grounds that she wears the burqa and this could be considered a "lack of assimilation" . There are also few words, obviously carefully weighed, in the appeal judgement of the Council of State: this woman "has adopted, in the name of a radical practice of her religion, behaviour in society that is incompatible with the essential values of the French community and in particular the principle of gender equality ".
Nul doute qu'il va se voir reprocher, à nouveau, de stigmatiser une religion, l'islam. Et de ne pas mesurer le fossé qui le sépare de la réalité complexe de la société française. Le Conseil, il est vrai, s'en tient à une appréciation de principe : à ses yeux, la burqa est tout sauf un signe religieux banal, qui relèverait d'un simple choix privé ou de la liberté de conscience ; à ses yeux, c'est au contraire un symbole majeur pour les musulmans les plus militants et minoritaires, qui revendiquent une pratique extrême de leur religion. Un symbole de ségrégation entre les hommes et les femmes. Un symbole inacceptable du statut d'infériorité de la femme dans cette conception de l'islam. Comment lui donner tort ?No doubt [the Council of State] will be reproached, again, with stigmatizing a particular religion, Islam. And with not seeing the gap that separates it from the complex reality of French society. The Council, it's true, does not go beyond a judgement based on principle: in its view, the burqa is anything but a trivial religious sign, that would belong to the domain of simple private choice or of freedom of conscience; in its view, it is to the contrary, a major symbol for the minority of most militant Muslims, who claim the right to an extreme practice of their religion. A symbol of segregation between men and women. An unacceptable symbol of the inferior status of women in this conception of Islam. How to disagree?

Well, I don't disagree on the symbolic value; however, I do think it's a matter of private choice. And, given that the woman's husband is French and she has three children born here, the rejection of her naturalisation request is right out of line imo.

As Colman says, they might go after the Christians. Have these dopes never seen a nun?

PS I find extremely strange that the Council of State uses "community" language in speaking of "the French community". That would seem to admit other communities living alongside? Also known as "multiculturalism"?

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 01:24:05 PM EST
Let's note that the emphasis on the burqa is not present in the Council of State's ruling, but in the journalist reading of the situation. The ruling speaks of behaviour regarding sex equality. We don't know how it arrived at that conclusion.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 01:43:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
As for the French community, it is made up of the people of French nationality, and de jure it is very clear foreign nationals living in France aren't part of it : they can't vote...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 01:45:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is a new doctrine. The Republic one and indivisible isn't made up of voters alone, as far as I know. And you know the word "community" is loaded, as an expression that belongs rather with a multiculturalist viewpoint.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 03:20:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, according to the wikipedia disambiguation page, the words "communauté française" have an even worse history, beyond its association with Belgium.

However, the "Republic one and indivisible" share a paragraph with "the equality of all citizens", which don't exactly include foreign nationals...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 03:33:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EU citizens are certainly supposed to be included since they're to be treated on an equal footing with citizens of any member state, according to Maastricht and following treaties.

But I really am surprised by this use of "community" in a ruling from such a high instance. And, as you point out, the term "communauté française" (re France), has an inglorious past, especially

Communauté française - Wikipédia

Sous le régime de Vichy, l'expression communauté française servait à désigner l'ensemble des Français de souche, selon l'idéologie aryaniste, avec l'objectif de spécialement exclure les Juifs de la nationalité française.

(Under the Vichy régime, the term "French community" was used to indicate those "of French stock", according to the Aryanist ideology, with the aim in particular of excluding Jews from French nationality.)

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 03:46:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Are EU citizens allowed into the military nowadays ?

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 03:52:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There's always been the Legion...
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 04:00:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is new to me: I had never heard of the french community in that sense. (The Vichy regime would be refered to as "l'état français").

As for me, "communauté française" may refer to the (failed) attempt to build a commonwealth-like association with former colonies at the end of the fifties.

Do you know where this expression comes from, apart from wikipedia? Is it of a widespread use abroad to design the 1939-1944 period or policies?

A free fox in a free henhouse!

by Xavier in Paris on Tue Jul 15th, 2008 at 08:05:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
A link using the term. Another, from the assemblée nationale website...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Tue Jul 15th, 2008 at 08:32:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Forgot to point out that EU citizens in France can vote in some elections.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 03:22:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Was not the French Community the Fifth Republic equivalent of the British Empire (as it existed before the Statute of Westminster 1931 gave the self governing dominions legal independence)?
by Gary J on Tue Jul 15th, 2008 at 07:10:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It also was that, at a point. See the wikipedia disambiguation page afew and I liked to.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Tue Jul 15th, 2008 at 07:16:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Refus d'accorder la nationalité pour port de la burqa: Pécresse approuve

Interrogée sur France Info, Valérie Pécresse a estimé que «le principe de l'égalité des sexes n'est pas négociable dans la République française» et que «le Conseil d'Etat en rendant cette décision a voulu réaffirmer qu'on ne pouvait pas avoir la nationalité française quand on n'adhérait pas à ce principe». «Au-delà même du port de la burqa, il y avait la question du fait que cette femme n'allait pas voter, du fait que cette femme n'avait pas de vie indépendante en dehors des déplacements qu'elle faisait accompagnée de son mari. Je crois que cela n'est pas la République française», a conclu la ministre. Le couple reconnaît son appartenance au salafisme, un courant rigoriste de l'islam. Dans le même temps, Faïza M. a toujours affirmé que, depuis son arrivée en France, elle n'avait jamais cherché à remettre en cause les valeurs de la République.

«D'après ses propres déclarations (Faïza M.) mène une vie presque recluse et retranchée de la société française. Elle n'a aucune idée sur la laïcité ou le droit de vote. Elle vit dans la soumission totale aux hommes de sa famille», souligne Emmanuelle Prada-Bordenave, la commissaire du gouvernement chargée de donner un avis juridique et qui a eu plusieurs entretiens avec le couple, interrogée par le quotidien. D'après elle, ces déclarations sont «révélatrices de l'absence d'adhésion à certaines valeurs fondamentales de la société française».

Le Conseil d'Etat étant la plus haute juridiction administrative, Faïza M. n'a plus de voie de recours.

(...)

Aux termes de l'article 21-2 du code civil, tout étranger contractant mariage avec un Français peut, après un délai de deux ans, acquérir la nationalité française. Mais plusieurs articles de ce même code restreignent ces possibilités.
Ils prévoient ainsi que «nul ne peut être naturalisé s'il n'est pas de bonnes vie et moeurs ou s'il a fait l'objet de l'une des condamnations visées à l'article 21-27 du présent code [condamnation pour crimes ou délits constituant une atteinte aux intérêts fondamentaux de la Nation ou acte de terrorisme, ndlr]».

Autre condition : l'étranger conjoint de Français doit justifier «de son assimilation à la communauté française, notamment par une connaissance suffisante, selon sa condition, de la langue française et des droits et devoirs conférés par la nationalité française». Sa maîtrise de la langue doit plus précisément lui permettre de répondre aux «nécessités de la vie quotidienne». Le gouvernement peut également s'opposer, par décret, à ce qu'un étranger devienne français en cas de défaut d'assimilation, caractérisé notamment par le fait de «répandre des thèses extrémistes manifestant un rejet des valeurs essentielles de la société française».

Certainly sounds like the decision is coherent with applicable law. How much of that law has been toughened recently is not clear to me (probably quite a bit, given that weddings are an increasingly controlled way to get the French nationality), but the decision does not shock me.

As linca said, the French State has been rather consistent in going after the catholic church and its practices in France over the past century and a half, so I don't think there really is such an unfairness in treatment there.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 02:58:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
you've never seen a nun insulted in public? I'll let you imagine the sort of insult... But really, no overtly religious are spared.
And its a fact that wearing a veil is an outward sign of religiosity, on top of which inappropriate submission. In the first instance, only poor taste. In the second, a betrayal of republican value of equality.

Fai de bèn a Bertrand, te lou rendra en cagant
by redstar on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 04:46:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No, since the early '70s I have never seen a nun insulted in public in France, I must have missed out...

But the point is what would be the attitude of the Conseil d'Etat to a request from a foreign nun in a traditionalist convent, for French nationality?

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 04:59:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Hopefully the same. The distinction being, would the government have refused the nun's nationality application ?

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Jul 12th, 2008 at 05:23:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I really don't think there would have been any problem from the start. It would be a shoo-in. Dear nun, please accept French nationality... ;)
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Jul 13th, 2008 at 02:53:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
"Hopefully" being the operative word.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Sun Jul 13th, 2008 at 06:30:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
... that would mean Jesus is French?

Actually, the three children of the husband would probably lead to a lot more coverage than the story that was diaried.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Sun Jul 13th, 2008 at 11:00:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
redstar:
on top of which inappropriate submission.

That is your interpretation.  And it may or may not be true.  In any case, it should not be within the jurisdiction of the state to make such interpretations.

... all progress depends on the unreasonable mensch.
(apologies to G.B. Shaw)

by marco (cowannar at gmail punkt com) on Sun Jul 20th, 2008 at 01:44:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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