In the case of short pants, it is not necessary for the State to intervene, as whether kids (or adults) wear short pants does not have the potential to interfere with the State's existing functions. In the case of religious dress, the potential for widespread social/religious radicalization is clear and present, and by implication, this poses a direct threat to the French State's explicitly secular role.
To put this another way, if the burqa was not associated with religion, and in particular, was not associated with foreign religious alternatives to the French State's functions (ie the Sharia in particular and also Middle Eastern customs which clash with European ideals), then it would pose no threat and be perfectly acceptable and benign.
However, the burqa is associated with Sharia and incompatible Middle Eastern social models, and therefore is an unacceptable encroachment on the French State's role and functions. As such, the State is justified in outlawing the burqa, not because of the dress itself, but solely because of the religious role it plays and the danger if it spreads. -- $E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
It is all very eurocentric anyway. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
Again, this is a misunderstanding between those who tags those garments as religious and those who don't ! Islam is pretty well lived in France and is not segregated (I must insist). While class, and where you live is still selective !
And by the way, the "car burqa" (the tinted windows of a car) has been unlawful for quite a while... :-) "What can I do, What can I write, Against the fall of Night". A.E. Housman
BTW, I am not claiming that Muslims as a whole are not well integrated in France or that Islam must disappear, I am arguing that the minority which imposes strict rules on their women are in contradiction with the values of the fifth French Republic, and this is why there necessarily is a clash.
The State must uphold and preserve the republican values which are described in the French constitution (in the same way, the American State must preserve the American constitution, which is different, etc). If a community diverges strongly from these values (and in fact the radical Islamic interpretation not only strongly clashes with these values, but offers a completely different and well developed civilisation), then the (French) State has no choice but must take action to impose the (French) constitutional values on this community.
It is really a question of which comes first in France, the State or the religion? -- $E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
How can you claim that the head coverings are not religious?
What you need to argue is that covering a woman's head with a scarf etc does not imply values which are promoted by religion. One could start by asking if the head covering were denounced by early religious leaders as pagan, and only accepted grudgingly over time. I am not qualified to make socio-historical remarks of this precision. -- $E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
Only available at Emergency Treatment centers. You can't be me, I'm taken
-- $E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
10 Uses for a Silk Scarf : The List Maven - Lists of Beauty Tips, Fashion Advice and Shopping Suggestions
or this one?
This used to be the hight of fashion. I still have some of these scarves. :-)
How do you test for values?
Anyway, the obvious way is some sort of questionnaire. Adherence to values can be faked, of course.
You can then fall back on behaviours as evidence of values. This naturally leads to "a burqa disqualifies you for French citizenship".
On "which values?", there was a time when France and the US were Enlightened nations but nowadays even France has a Head of State who believes they're "Christian Nations" so the kinds of "values tests" that are applied to people are becoming less palatable to lefties... But still, Sarkozy will have some success in getting French leftists to support his racist policy because they agree on the "secular republican values" principle. Or at least he'll paralyse them into indecision over whether banning the Burqa is civic or racist. A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
You cannot impose values.
In rrual afgan communities it has nothing to do with religion but with gender structures in rural areas (just like in Spain nowadays).
The role of burrqas in the few urban afghan posts is... well highly debatable and I do not know enough about it.
The only place where it is clearly assocaited due to an strange symbolic imaginarium, with religion is in western countries inside non-muslim communities (which would never never in their dreams associate burqa with msulim nor arab).. burqa, for muslims, is a regional and rural symbol (well, more like evocation, like when you heard someone with a different accent and you recognize where it comes from), not a religious one.
A pleasue I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude
I have no data on this change of view.
A pleasure I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude
Also, don't forget that the "muslim" communities in France, at least those that are going the veil or burqa way, aren't the most knowledgeable about their version of traditional islam, and a fair share of the imams are educated in the more conservative muslim countries. Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
Despite looking like religious, and having the stamp of religion, it is actually non-religion. The key point is gender roles which religion acts as a structure which supports the "stability" of the roles.
Same as rural Spain in the 40/50's.
My grand grand ma used cover and soemtimes face-covers even in cities when she was no longer at all religious.. it was a role marker...Not to say that the church in the town would have not protested/commented... but nothing like the non-church social control to enforce the rules
