Sarkozy: Niqab Is 'Sign of Debasement'

French President Nicholas Sarkozy announced in front of the French parliament that the Islamic face covering - Niqab - [not to be confused with the veil: Hijab] is a "sign of [women] debasement" that should be outlawed in France.

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Sarkozy stated that the French cannot expect the effort to isolate women from society the way such a face covering does. The French parliament will now establish a commission to review the Niqab and make recommendations. If it is banned, it will not be the first time the French government put restriction on Islamic wear.

Under President Chirac, at the behest of a similar commission it banned the Hijab from public schools. Although all religious symbols were banned, the law was clearly intended for the Hijab. But that law was just for public schools and did not apply to all arenas.

Although I am opposed to the Niqab and am irritated by the sight of it, because it is unfounded in Islam and is used to isolate women from society by misogynist men; nonetheless I oppose Sarkozy's effort because banning women from wearing what they please on the streets is totalitarian. Nothing more than a fascist policy of police stopping women on the streets and forcing them to change their wear is what Sarkozy is calling for. Such a policy is the antithesis of a free society, it is opposed to the freedom in France that Sarkozy champions, will provoke a backlash by even secular French Muslims and should be opposed on principles of freedom and liberty.

The Niqab should be gradually phased out in all societies as nothing more than a vile manifestation of extremism and sexism, but the way to discourage the wearing of the Niqab is to speak out against it. And to integrate all Muslims into French society so that nearly all of them, and most of them already do, embrace universal values of liberalism, engagement and respect for women.