France bans religious symbols in schools and hospitals.

[Saint Marcus]

France is banning religious symbols in schools and hospitals.

These include muslim headscarves, jewish skullcaps and christian crosses. People are forbidden from wearing them in certain public buildings.

Small crosses and stars of david, are accepted however. As long as they're small and not too obvious.

Oddly enough, French muslim organisations urged their community to follow the new regulations.

[Buck Birdseed]

The last gasp of the venerable and monumentally misguided France Unie et Indivisible policy, one would hope. They won't be able to withstand the tide of the muticultural society much longer.

To be frank, this ban is pretty much as close as you can come to a policy that opposes all of my most heartfelt viewpoints, except possibly the feminist one. Undemocratic, disciplinarian, one-nation monocultural, petty conservatism.

[Dis]

it's not so bad- for them of course. I wouldn't agree with it for the U.S. But Europe is different than the U.S.

[Solly]

The only policy from which we could learn something from France; to aid integration.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The last gasp of the venerable and monumentally misguided France Unie et Indivisible policy, one would hope. They won't be able to withstand the tide of the muticultural society much longer.

To be frank, this ban is pretty much as close as you can come to a policy that opposes all of my most heartfelt viewpoints, except possibly the feminist one. Undemocratic, disciplinarian, one-nation monocultural, petty conservatism.

I agree... though it is amusing to hear of a conservative policy which wants to ban all religious expression .

[Sava]

I personally think this goes too far. While I think schools and government hospitals should be secular, I don't think the government has the right to ban religious wear, unless they are enforcing a standard uniform code.

But, I also don't get this outrage that the right has towards France over this. You can still go to church or the mosque or whatever and pray. You can silently pray to yourself. Plus, I don't think God cares what people wear, or whether or not people are wearing skullcaps or headscarves.

[yavoon]

what if u insisted the skullcap was non religious and that u liked it as fashion?

its obviously a huge load of crap. the whole concept of "integration" is wrong.

sufficed to say france has befcome religious. its religion is aetheism. and its being ENFORCED.

[Solly]

the whole concept of "integration" is wrong.

Yeah, we need completely polarised communities..

[Saint Marcus]

I agree... though it is amusing to hear of a conservative policy which wants to ban all religious expression

French conservatives and republicans are by nature anti-religious. Secular Republic vs Religious Monarchy. From those days this all comes from, and instead of it being used to curtain the influence of the Catholics, it's now used to curtail the influence of the Muslims.

However, this being said...papers here label it a "liberal" move. (then again, liberals here are right wingers too)

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Park Avenue


Yeah, we need completely polarised communities..

no, u need freedoms. the gov't isnt a nanny.

[Bereta_Eder]

Frankly, it's uncomprehensible.

[yavoon]

is this only for organized religion or does this extend to any belief system? like if I believe in personal power by that tony guy w/ the huge teeth and I wear a shirt professing my belief in his philosophy.

is that banned?

[Spiffor]

While I think the move was quite extreme at school, I strongly agree with the hospital part. When Muslim women (but you could say submitted women, which would be more accurate) have to wear scarves during a consultation, when the husband is the one who talks as her wife gets examinated even by a gynecologist, when Muslim groups demand that there are men-only and women-only areas etc...

I think it is a time to say "stop". There's a time where we cannot agree with such displays of "religiosity" as they go so against our values of liberty, equality and fraternity. The ban in hospoitals is completely about the submission of women to their husband. I'm very, very glad we oppose it without any concession.

Saint Marcus:
You'd be interested by this thread, where we discussed the issue at length, although it was no poll.
You may find information that you don't know as of yet.

[Bereta_Eder]

How many muslims are there in France?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by yavoon
sufficed to say france has befcome religious. its religion is aetheism. and its being ENFORCED.

Probably.
You know what? If a teacher professes atheist beliefs, or if a pupil wears an "ostensible" sign stating his atheism, he'd fall to the law exactly as a teacher explaining the superiority of Jesus, or a Scarved girl.

Religion is supposed to be silenced at school according to the French value of laïcité. Not denied.