Le Ban Sur La BurqaNicolas Sarkozy was recently in the United Arab Emirates to launch some military and cultural projects.
Last week, back in his homeland, the French President announced some controversial plans to ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa — the loose-fitting garment that covers women completely from head to toe, sometimes with mesh or a veil over the eyes.
"In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity," Sarkozy said. "The burqa is not a religious sign; it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement."
Debating the Burqa
What do you think about imposing a burqa ban?
Is the burqa a religious sign that is required by Islam? A sign of subservience?
Is a state ban a denial on one’s individual freedom?
Tune into a debate on the issue between Mehded Maryam Sinclair, an American Muslim currently living in Amman, Jordan and Mona Eltahawy, a syndicated columnist currently living in New York.
Link: Debating the Burqa: Sarkozy Proposes Ban, NPR, 2 July 2009.
Dr Geoff Pound
