- Anything Else -

In the name of Secularism

Posted by: Nikhil Jaikumar ( EFZ, MA, USA ) on July 06, 1999 at 15:51:27:

In Reply to: What possible reasoning can the french have for this? posted by Karen on July 06, 1999 at 12:20:41:

: : Depends on whom you ask. Muslims, including Muslim women, argue that its purpose is to shield and protect women from lustful attention and harassment. This seems to be what Muslims think, so it's the reason i, as a non-Muslim, would accept. Some western feminists however, including some people i know, believe that its purpose was to subjugate women.

: : speaking of which, I think it's outrageous that the French refuse to let muslim girls wear headscarves in school. And this is a supposedly liberal government.

: WOW, are you serious? What possible reasoning can the french have for this? Do you know if this has caused them to find other means of schooling their children? I can not think of how head scarves would interfere with education.

Apparently the reasoning is that wearing the headscarf / veil is a "religious statement" which would interfere with the "secular atmosphere" of french schools. French kids can wear crucifixes, however. Apparently the crucifix is a "cultural" statement, not a 'religious" one.


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