Reply #92: Nicolas Sarkozy is trying to maintain French culture [View All]

[riderinthestorm]

Why isn't it hubris for Muslims to come to that nation state with it's determinedly secular constitution, much more so than ours, and demand the right to wear this kind of patently misogynistic garment that's also strictly cultural?

The French have the right to determine what will be acceptable in their public square. They have a history of banning religious gear in public, they have a very secular constitution and a culture that does not embrace face covering. Those who come to that country should have a reasonable expectation about what they will face in emigrating. Personally I believe France has done a terrible job integrating it's foreign population but that doesn't change the facts of French culture, history and their rules about what's appropriate dress in public. The women may feel "dehumanized", "portrayed as an invader" but frankly, none of that is new for any immigrant wave for any country. There's going to be culture shocks and discussion about what makes it into the melting pot of the blended society and what gets banned (FGM is banned for example). Virtually all immigrants feel exposed and uncomfortable - that's normal. What's not normal is to then retreat from even trying to assimilate and then blame everyone else.

Burqa/niqab bans have nothing to do with imperialism and I'm having a bit of a laugh over your stretch.I don't buy that argument for a moment. That type of shrouding is meant to make a woman disappear, faceless and anonymous. That's not imperialism - that's cultural misogyny and you can't lay that at the face of imperial aggression in any meaningful manner. It's usage predates any western imperialism or western demonization.

Right now it's taking on even more charged tension as it's being used as a political statement by radicals, so much so that even Islamic cultures are looking to ban it.

This type of clothing has meaning, context and connotations that the west is right to reject imho.