President Nicolas Sarkozy said his government was forwarding the legislation to parliament because it had a ‘moral responsibility’ to uphold traditional European values in the face of an increasingly visible Muslim population, estimated at more than 5 million, the largest in Western Europe. He called the course chosen by his government ‘demanding’ but ‘just,’ and he said the law was not intended to stigmatize Muslims.
-The Washington Post, quoted on Feministing. On the “burqa ban.”
It continues to blow my mind that anyone- Jezebel-commenters-who-I-would-have-thought-would-know-better, I’m looking at you- could possibly believe that banning the burqa/niqab is a feminist act, or that it’s not an issue of racism, xenophobia, and religious prejudice.
(via myvivavoce)
These words just don’t make any sense in this order.
(via novazembla)
We must protect Traditional Europeans against INVADING MUSLIMS (who apparently cannot also be Europeans? Or something?). THEY WILL TEAR DOWN OUR TRADITIONAL VALUES.
Oh, but I don’t mean to stigmatize them or anything, because that would be Wrong.
(via dorianisms)
I can’t shake the feeling that the people writing this and similar laws are very aware that this will just keep Muslim women who wear hijab and/or niqab indoors and out of public sight. “Not intended to stigmatize Muslims” my patootie.
The racism, the Islamophobia and the general colonialist bigotry at work with these bans is bad enough, the double standard for women just grinds my teeth even further. “You’re only allowed to be seen if we can see all of you.”
