Banning the Burqa
Anti-Muslim sentiment in Spain is getting enshrined into law, with legislation banning the burqa being passed in villages across northeast Spain, legitimizing xenophobic views in the Catalan region where most communities have few if any Muslim inhabitants.
Anti-Muslim sentiment in Spain is getting enshrined into law, with legislation banning the burqa being passed in villages across northeast Spain, legitimizing xenophobic views in the Catalan region where most communities have few if any Muslim inhabitants. –JCL
Rock Solid JournalismThe Guardian:
There are no burqas on the streets of Tarrés. In fact, there are no Muslims at all in this village of 108 inhabitants in north-east Spain. But that will not stop the parish council debating whether to ban burqas and face-covering niqabs from parts of the village next week.
“It is true that there are no Muslims living in the village now, but this would be a preventive measure in case they come,” said parish councillor Daniel Rivera, from the tiny and openly xenophobic Partit per Catalunya. Rivera’s motion to ban burqas has outraged many – and other councillors say they will vote against it. But whatever the result, the motion is symptomatic of wider moves in the Catalonia region to ban Islamic veils from public buildings.
Today the nearby provincial capital, Lleida, formally passed a ban that was first announced in May. Women found wearing burqas in public buildings will first be given a warning but any repeat will lead to a fine of between €300 and €600 (£250-£500).
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U.S. policy has promoted the economic and religious right. The idea that it has been good for women in the global south is ludicrous.
Looks like Osama bin Laden is still around after all The French Foreign Ministry said Thursday that video footage showing a man appearing to be bin Laden and threatening repercussions against France for recent actions he finds objectionable (continued).
The French Senate voted 246-1 Tuesday to make it illegal for women to wear garments that cover their entire faces. The measure, if greenlighted by a constitutional body, will affect only a few thousand people, but its implications for religious freedom and women's rights have attracted international interest.
One of the most socially progressive European states debates whether or not to allow women to wear the garments in public Can a fatwa be far off? | storyAlso, The Guardian probes an Islamic debate over the place of nudity in, heaven forbid, marriage | story.
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