I nicked this topic from Phil's site as i thought it was an interesting talking point..please read the link and discuss....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3309723.stm




An official French commission has called for a ban on "conspicuous" religious signs in schools, including the Islamic headscarf.

President Jacques Chirac is expected to decide in the coming days whether to follow the report with a new law.
The issue of girls wearing the Islamic headscarf in schools has provoked a heated national debate in France, which is home to Europe's biggest Muslim community.

@Kunjufu

I saw a brief bit on the new about this subject and I thought it was a damn cheek. If this is allowed it will be the begining of opening a can of worms this will surely be a wrong move. I read the link and it don't add up if some Muslim women do not wear headscarf at present then what purpose will this ban serve, that means they are taking away free choice and if they start with this then where will it end. VERY BAD MOVE TO MAKE also hidden agenda behind it, sounds like another bullying scapegoattactic placed on Muslims again.blknoway

Mafdet: i agree that this is the very thin edge of the wedge...creeping facism hitler would be very proud of his work today...very proud.

Bismillaah Salaam, Kunjufu. This is indeed an oddity as I know of no mandatory Islamic law that states Muslim womem 'must' wear a headscarf.Although there is a Special Consideration of the Muslim Sisters in Surah 24, verse 31,concerning covering attire, the head of the wearer isusually covered as well.The Sisters usually do so voluntarily, as anethical statement, out of their love of Allaah SWT: Glory Be To HIM.Perhaps a Muslim Sister will clarify the matter for us, insha'allaah.Salaam. OriginalBM

the devil is making his way around the world...

children can not even pray here in american public schools :X

Bismillaah Salaam, Kareem. The issue [headscarf]threw me too, for a while. Its been debatedfor quite sometime. The Muslim Sisters know how to handle it. The Muslimbrothers should support them, in what ever dress code they decide for themselves. As they are equal in rights to the brothers, we should respect that right as they are as capable of loving Allaah SWT: Glory Be To HIM, as much as,or perhaps,more than the brothers. Salaam. OriginalBM

@ KUNJUFU :

MOST INTERESTING TOPIC YOU'VE STARTED MY BROTHA , THIS IS QUITE PERSONAL TO ME ONE BECUASE IAM A MUSLIM WOMEN AND TWOBECUASE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SIMILIAR BARRIERS IN REGARDS TO MY HEAD COVERING ,THERE DEFINETLY HAS TO BE A FINE LINE DRAWN BETWEEN GOVERMENT AND FREEDOM TO PRACTICE RELIGIOUS BELIEVES.IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT THEY MAKE IT DIFFCULT TO PRAY ON THE JOB WHEN WE NEED TO AND NOW COVERING IS AN ISSUE .I AGREEWITH MISS X ,IT'S A DIRECT DISCRIMINATION OF OUR RIGHTS AS MUSLIM WOMEN TO FORBID US FROM COVERING, AND IF SUCH LAWS WERE TO BE PASSED I'D HATE TO OBSERVE WHERE THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO. AN INCIDENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE HAPPENED IN THE U.S. A FEW MONTHS AGO ALONG THE SAME LINES OF DISCUSSION , THE SISTA (MUSLIM WOMEN) WASSTOPPED BY POLICE AND ASKED TO UNCOVER I BELIEVE THIS WAS IN LOS ANGELOS, SHE WASASKED TO DO SO , SO THAT THE OFFICER MAY IDENTIFY HER WITH HER DRIVERS LICENSE AND SHEREFUSED TO UNCOVER BEFORE THIS MALE OFFICER AND SHE WAS DETAINEDAND LATER FINED AND TAKEN TO COURT IT WAS A BIG PRODUCTION ,IT SHED ALOT OF LIGHT ON ISLAM AND HOW SOCIETY VIEWS MUSLIM WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD TODAY......



@ KAREEM AND ORIGINALBM :



ALTHOUGH KAREEM THE QURAN DOESN'T DIRECTLY STATE THAT WE MUST COVER OUR HEADS BUT RATHER OUR BOSSOMS , IT ALSO STATES WE ARE TO DRESS MODESTY AS NOT TO BRING ATTENTION TO ONESELF AND THAT WE'RE TO GUARD OUR MODESTY AS WELL SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE LOOKED APON IN AN IMPROPER MANNER (MOLESTED) AS THE QURAN WORDS IT . SUCH THINGS THAT BRING ATTENTION TO SELF IS OUR HAIR , BOSSOMS , BODY FORM ETC. WE ARE SET APART BY ALLAH AS BELIEVEIN WOMEN AND THERE ABSOLUTELY MUST BE A CLAEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN US AND OTHER WOMENAND THE HEADSCARF (BERKA) MAKES THAT DISINCTION ALONG WITH OUR ATITUDE AS BELIEVING WOMEN FURTHER MORE OUR BEAUTY IS RESERVED TO BEGAZED APON BY OUR HUSBANDS EXCULSIVELY , I DON'T PROPOSE KAREEM YOU'D DESIRE FOR A MAN TO LOOK APON YOUR WIFE IN A MANNER WHICH WAS INAPPORIATE IN ANY SHAPE FASHION OR FORM CORRECT ?. ORIGINALBM I THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT OF THIS , IT'S IMPERITIVE THAT WE RECIEVE THAT FROM OUR BROTHAS , ECSPECAILLY IN THE GENERATION OR TIMES THAT WE'RE LIVING IN TODAY. THIS TO ME IS JUST SATAN AND ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO PERSECUTE OR HINDER ISLAM AROUND THE WORLD . ALL PRAISES BE UNTO ALLAH AND MAY HE HAVE MERCY ON THOSE WHO HINDER.



KAREN.

@Karen

Thank you I enjoyed reading your post and agreed with everything you said.

@All

If this is allowed then this is just an open gateway to more levels of destruction for us because this will give a open path for employers to discriminate just sit back and think about the seriousness of such an devilish law. The only difference I see today is that these evil people globallydo not even attempt to hide their evilness anymore.

Chirac presses on with headscarf ban

Jessica Aldred and agencies
Wednesday December 17, 2003

The French president, Jacques Chirac, is to ask parliament to pass a law banning Islamic headscarves and other religious insignia in French state schools, he announced this afternoon.
If the law is passed, from next year students will not be allowed to wear headscarves, Jewish skull caps or large Christian crosses. But "discreet" medallions and pendants which merely confirm a person's religious faith would be allowed.


The president's decision comes as a response to a study released last week that proposed the banning of "conspicuous religious signs" in schools. "In all conscience, I consider that the wearing of dress or symbols which conspicuously show religious affiliation should be banned in schools," Mr Chirac said in a televised speech, according to the news agency Reuters.
"For that, a law is necessary," he added, urging parliament to pass legislation for the new school year in September 2004.


Mr Chirac also rejected proposals to mark the holy days of minority faiths with new school holidays, noting the French school calendar already included many days off.
The study, released last week, examined a range of issues relating to religion and the state in France. Although the report looked into the wider question of French secularism, debate on the issue has centred around the wearing of Islamic headscarves in schools.
France has the largest Muslim population within the EU, and several thousand teenage girls are estimated to wear headscarves to classes.


The issue has already led to a number of cases where girls have been suspended or expelled for wearing headscarves to school. Religious leaders have said the ban would mainly target Islamic students and would victimise the country's 5 million Muslims. The headscarf proposal by former French minister Bernard Stasi and his commission sent shockwaves through the centre-right government and has attracted worldwide criticism. The commission consulted a wide cross-section of public opinion, including teachers, religious leaders, sociologists and politicians before handing in the report to the president last Thursday.

OriginalBM: It would really help me to appreciate your writing if you could use paragraphs..

It small but significant things like this that cause so much anger across certain religions and allbeit not right I can sometimes understand why people sacrifice their life for religion. The 'terrorist' as they are called by Blair and Bush are trying to rise for freedom to be who they are and to run things their way and not the way of the west.

How can someone tell you how to dress then say that we live in a world of democracy? I feel it's all nonsense and should not be allowed, if Blair and Bush are so much into democracy they should step in and encourage the 'Offical French Comission to drop their foolishness, but I don't suppose they will as it does not involve oil.confused3