France is banning headscarves, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ISLAM

President Nicolas Sarkozy said last year that full-face veils oppressed women and were not welcome in France. Plans to ban them by law have provoked intense debate about religious freedom in a secular society, as well as the position of Muslims in France.France has Europe's largest Muslim minority population, estimated at about five million. The French interior ministry estimates that only about 1,900 women wear full veils in the country.

ILLUSTRATION: After stopping the 31-year-old woman - who has not been named - police asked her to raise her veil to confirm her identity, which she did.(www.news.bbc.co.uk)

They then fined her 22 euros ($29; £19), saying her clothing posed a "safety risk". 

There are several types of headscarves and veils for Muslim women - those that cover the face being the niqab and the burka. In France, the niqab is the version most commonly worn.

Headscarves: (for us to better appreciate and distinguish what is fashion and what is religion)

The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in a myriad of styles and colours.

The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear.

The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf. The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through.

The al-amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and an accompanying tube-like scarf. The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders. 

The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear. The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath. 

We all know that the scarves are part of the religious traditions of Islam and we ought to respect them. It has there since time immemorial even before the French president was born. 

 

Should this be made into law in France, it will surely cause a serious threat to the Islamic world and would be treated as an insult to their right of religion, a right so supreme that should be respected.     

This act is just like the French president telling the Muslims to stop believing and professing their faith which is a brutal, inhuman and barriotic thing to do. THE FRENCH PRESIDENT SHOULD STOP THIS NONSENSE AND IF HE CANNOT GIVE RESPECT WHERE IT IS DUE, HE SHOULD RESIGN AND SAVE THE FRENCH NATION THE REPERCUSSIONS OF HIS ACTIONS.    RESPONSE OF THE MUSLIM COUNCIL OF BRITAIN:  

Sarkozy Defies Universal Values as he tells Women What Not to Wear: French leader's Burqa remarks are designed to whip-up further xenophobia against Muslims             The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) criticised French President Nicholas Sarkozy's intention to ban the wearing of Burqa - a garment worn by a minority of Muslim women in accordance with their religious belief. Reiterating its long established position that individuals must have the freedom to choose their attire on the basis of deeply-held religious beliefs, the MCB called upon the French President to desist from engaging in and promoting divisive politics towards its Muslim inhabitants. In this respect, the MCB echoes the US President Barack Obama's caution that 'it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practising religion as they see fit - for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. We cannot disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.' Assistant Secretary General of the MCB, Dr. Reefat Drabu said: "It is patronising and offensive to suggest that those Muslim women who wear the burqa do so because of pressure or oppression by their male partners or guardians". She added: "Such suggestions can legitimately be perceived as antagonistic towards Islam. Instead of taking a lead in promoting harmony and social cohesion amongst its people, the French President appears to be initiating a policy which is set to create fear and misunderstanding and may lead to Islamophobic reaction not just in France but in the rest of Europe too".   The Muslim Council of Britain is an umbrella group of over 500 Muslim organisations - mosques, charities, community groups.       For further information please contact the MCB:        The Muslim Council of Britain,       PO Box 57330,       London,       E1 2WJ       Tel: 0845 26 26 786 0845 26 26 786            Fax: 0207 247 7079       media@mcb.org.uk

The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf. The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through.

The al-amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and an accompanying tube-like scarf. The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders.

The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear. The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath.