Banning Religious Symbols in France

Dear Mr Chirac / all the Ambassadors of France around the world:

Your governments plan to ban all conspicuous religious signs in public places is deeply concerning; a plan that seems to have headscarves as a focus target. The argument that this will help Muslims better integrate into the French society, is simply a false testimony. If anything, it will make French-Muslims resentful and more likely to stick together in tight communities, and will unquestionably alienate, rather than integrate all the religiously devoted communities. Many will start sending their children to private schools to avoid such religious intolerance. Thus it is fundamentally wrong, as it breeds hate. Those who cannot afford private schooling on the other hand, may even stop taking their children to school all together, potentially creating future unemployment; an obvious point that the French government could not have overlooked.


It is obvious that the real concern should not be Headscarves, Crosses or Yarmulkes, but should be that children of all religion and race, ought to be able to go to the same schools and learn tolerance at an early age.

Did the government look at the right upbringing of these children? How are French kids going to learn to accept, endure and embrace religious and cultural differences with this kind of example being set by their leaders? Isnt education supposed to open their blossoming minds to be able to live in harmony with others in the real world? Or is it about teaching them how to be hypocrites, by claiming democracy and freedom, and living otherwise? Why wouldnt the government ask the Muslim girls and the Jewish boys what they would like to do, and leave it up to them? Were they not sent to school in the first place so that they can make choices and decisions based upon what they think is in their best interest? Simply because some individuals believe that young students should all look the same does not mean that the children should be made to take their scarves and Yarmulkes off!

Why should it matter what someone has on his or her head, everyone is unique and different. Children should be learning that if they do not allow for these differences, societies will became intolerant of others. Consequently, we all should allow people to practice their different beliefs and respect them for whom they are what they believe in, and how they want to dress. The problem is that kids should not be used as a political tool for adults with phobias. When are we going to learn to live with each other and accept our differences?


This is a clear failure to accept the diversity that multicultural societies pride themselves on. A truly civilized society would choose tolerance of all religions, over enforced secularism. If Mr. Chirac imposes this law, it will be a very sad day for France and for its history. Banning headscarves, Crosses, and Yarmulkes is just oppressive, and it's outrageous that in a so-called democratic country people are forbidden from wearing what they want.

Why is it that we have never heard previously about the issue of Nuns or Priests not being able to go to government buildings with their dress code, not even in third-world countries! Will nuns now be banned from wearing headscarves, or would they be kicked out of school? Would priests have to wear a suit and tie, or a pair of blue jeans when going to government institutions? If not, why ban Muslims? There is a double standard here without a doubt. This issue surfaced only because of Hijab and not as the government claims "against all religious signs". It is a clear discriminatory act.


This law would defiantly be a violation of human rights. It is bad enough that women in the western world are often discriminated against for wearing the Hijab, but now, the French Government is sanctioning a law against this practice, and rather making this discrimination Legal. The government justifies this by claiming that now all the French people will be equal. How can this be, if French-Muslim women are not allowed to practice their religion freely? How could this be called Equality when these women are in fact, being oppressed and being denied their right to practice their faith? Belief is an individuals human right and to deny this right is morally and ethically incorrect.


With this regulation, Muslim women will be singled out, by not being allowed to wear their scarf in public institutions. The scarf, which is mainly a hair cover, is a requirement for all Muslim women, rather than being looked at as a sign of rebellion; it is simply a head wrap that provides modesty and conservatism to Muslim women. Unlike the Jewish Yarmulkes and the Christian Crucifix, the Hijab is not a religious symbol. To group these items together is absolutely wrong. All Muslim scholars agreed that not wearing it is considered a sin, and that it is an integral part of the religion. This is also clearly stated in the holy Koran as follows

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the believing women to cast their jalaabeeb over themselves (i.e. their bodies).
[33:59]

And (tell the believing women) not to display their zeenah (adornment) except for that which is apparent from it.
[24:31]

Therefore, this law should not apply for Muslims at all, for it is unheard of that any human being has the right to negotiate what God the Almighty should endorse and what He should forbid. How can a country claiming "democracy" and "freedom" restrain someone from following the orders of their religion, especially as it does not harm anyone?


To conclude, Canadians who promote and advocate for human rights and freedoms will support this stance: retract this ridiculous and potentially dangerous law. This law needs to be revisited and vetoed by all democratic countries, before detrimental consequences would follow. As a large group, we will, to the best of our ability, work with others in Canada to boycott all French imports and French tourism with the hope of affecting the French economy. This may be a small step, but one that will be carried through. Since the French has taken a deliberate stance against human rights. Canada and other countries that believe in freedom and justice will stand up and do their best to disapprove such law.

We also should remember the fact that no nation or country has ever been successful by forcing everyone to be the same, rather success has always come by allowing and respecting individual differences. Thus, forcing everyone to have the same opinion has always brought dissatisfaction, which if it lasts long enough will lead to revolutions. Just read the history of the previous nations.

Thank you for your time, and efforts to consider our contrastive criticism.


Concerned citizens.