State Sponsored Racism

I've been following this story for a few days but I had initially dismissed it as the media just whipping up a storm over nothing, seems it is actually for real - France to ban pupils' religious dress. Might be real but it's un-****ing-believable.

Muslim headscarves and other religious symbols are almost certain to be banned from French schools and public buildings after a specially appointed commission told the government yesterday that legislation was needed to defend the secular nature of the state.
The 20-member group, appointed by President Jacques Chirac and headed by the national ombudsman, Bernard Stasi, recommended that all "conspicuous" signs of religious belief - specifically including Jewish skullcaps, oversized Christian crosses and Islamic headscarves - be outlawed in state-approved schools.

This is offensive and wrong. Whether or not the headscarve is a sign of the subordination of women (I know not enough to comment) surely it ill behoves the state to interfere in how people express their religious beliefs where no harm is being done. Am I wrong?

Posted by Paul at December 12, 2003 06:55 AM |

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