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Friday, June 17, 2011

The burqa ban in France: not working as planned

I don't think the authorities thought this completely through, and this loophole could be their undoing.  Two women were ticketed for wearing the burqa in public.  One appeared in court for their hearing, the other did not.  The one appearing at court refused to remove her burqa, as per French law and her trial was basically ignored.  The French are not allowed to physically remove any headcovering, and since the law prohibits someone with headcoverings from entering a court, confusion reigned.  She was not allowed in, thus the judge had no choice but to dismiss the charges.

How this will play out, we will know this September.


From The Telegraph  June 17 by Peter Allen

French burka ban descends into farce

Hind and Najet, who keep their features hidden at all times and refuse to identify themselves beyond their first names, were due to appear before a judge outside Paris.

Both are accused of violating France's so-called "burka ban", which came into force earlier this year and prevents anyone covering up their faces in public.

But when Hind, a 31-year-old mother, tried to enter the court building in Meaux on Thursday, police held her back, telling her to take her head-covering off.

Najet, meanwhile, simply stayed at home, with the 34-year-old saying she knew she would be stopped from entering.

"For the hearing to go ahead, you must remove the veil. Justice must be administered in a calm atmosphere," police commissioner Philippe Tireloque told Hind.

Hind, who had brought her own handcuffs to wear as part of an organised protest at the court, replied: "I'll keep my veil on at all times. It's non-negotiable.

Must make showering difficult.

"The law forbids me from expressing myself, and indeed from defending myself. It forces me to dress a certain way, when all I want to do is live according to my religion."

There it is. She just wants to live her religion, in a certain way, and it is the government preventing her self-expression of Islam.  Here is the victim card, played loud and often by those wanting more sharia and more pure Islam.

Police are under strict orders not to remove face coverings themselves, meaning Hind was simply told to leave.

Their court appearance was accordingly abandoned, as state prosecutors began trying to work out how they can deal with the challenge to the new law. They are expected to come to a decision in September.

The accused are both from the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois, and were arrested in Meaux in May after travelling to an anti-burka ban protest.

They face fines of £140 and an order to attend compulsory citizenship classes, at which they will be â taught' how to behave as upstanding citizens in a secular republic.

I can see that working out just ducky, don't you?

Read it all

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