- Feb 8, 2001
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Walking around Paris and some of the other cities of France over the past couple of weeks, going to the street markets, visiting neighborhoods apart from the usual tourist landmarks, I found a larger number of women wearing burqas than even in the past year.
In great part this is because many cities of Europe are being taken over demographically by Muslim immigrants, both legal and not.
This UK article goes over the trend and touches on the significance of such a major population shift to Europa -
Muslim Europe: the demographic time bomb transforming our continent
Are the countries of Europe, at risk of losing their national identities, finally taking action to forcibly assimilate these populations that have thus far failed to integrate much at all into the society of their adopted lands?
The Belgians, the French, the Dutch and others are looking askance at the results of their liberal immigration policies. Similar to the debate on enfranchising illegal immigrants here in the United States, the Europeans are considering the severe consequences of unenforced immigration laws.
The evident manifestation of the encroachment of Muslim populations in Europe is the proliferation of burqa on the streets of major European cities. In response, European governments are attempting to address both security concerns and cultural integration issues, and the public wearing of burqa is being targeted.
Here in America we ourselves have a noticeable urban American contingent of burqa wearers. In places like Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Detroit, these are not foreign or immigrant Muslim women - they tend to dress stylishly with a European sensibility or in student casual jeans. The great majority are Americans making a statement, sometimes a religious statement, but just as often an overtly hostile statement against the character of American society. Do you doubt this? Ask them yourself.
Some devout Muslim women here are fully supportive of the physical anonymity and the religious significance of the burqa. Zerqa Abid writes an interesting blog about life as a Muslim in the United States and expresses her traditional feelings about burqa.
But others use the burqa to intimidate, and do so with an urban character much, much different than the Muslims of Europe.
The size of the population here that wears burqa is insignificant compared to Europe. And America, in and of its very nature, is a nation of immigrants, where diversity, though often resisted, ultimately makes us who we are.
Europe is a different place, facing different circumstances, but we should still watch what happens there for it may be a harbinger of what might, under different guise, happen here in our own debate over legitimizing illegal immigration.
In great part this is because many cities of Europe are being taken over demographically by Muslim immigrants, both legal and not.
This UK article goes over the trend and touches on the significance of such a major population shift to Europa -
Muslim Europe: the demographic time bomb transforming our continent
Are the countries of Europe, at risk of losing their national identities, finally taking action to forcibly assimilate these populations that have thus far failed to integrate much at all into the society of their adopted lands?
The Belgians, the French, the Dutch and others are looking askance at the results of their liberal immigration policies. Similar to the debate on enfranchising illegal immigrants here in the United States, the Europeans are considering the severe consequences of unenforced immigration laws.
The evident manifestation of the encroachment of Muslim populations in Europe is the proliferation of burqa on the streets of major European cities. In response, European governments are attempting to address both security concerns and cultural integration issues, and the public wearing of burqa is being targeted.
Here in America we ourselves have a noticeable urban American contingent of burqa wearers. In places like Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Detroit, these are not foreign or immigrant Muslim women - they tend to dress stylishly with a European sensibility or in student casual jeans. The great majority are Americans making a statement, sometimes a religious statement, but just as often an overtly hostile statement against the character of American society. Do you doubt this? Ask them yourself.
Some devout Muslim women here are fully supportive of the physical anonymity and the religious significance of the burqa. Zerqa Abid writes an interesting blog about life as a Muslim in the United States and expresses her traditional feelings about burqa.
But others use the burqa to intimidate, and do so with an urban character much, much different than the Muslims of Europe.
The size of the population here that wears burqa is insignificant compared to Europe. And America, in and of its very nature, is a nation of immigrants, where diversity, though often resisted, ultimately makes us who we are.
Europe is a different place, facing different circumstances, but we should still watch what happens there for it may be a harbinger of what might, under different guise, happen here in our own debate over legitimizing illegal immigration.
Belgium moves to become first European country to ban the burka
Daily Mail (UK)
31st March 2010
Potential outlaw: Burka wearers could be jailed if they are caught in publicBelgium is on the verge of becoming the first European nation to ban the burka.
A parliamentary committee agreed yesterday to outlaw the wearing of face-covering veils in public. The full Parliament will vote later this month.
Under the proposals, women could face a week in prison or a fine for wearing a veil in public.
There are an estimated 650,000 Muslims in Belgium – 6 per cent of the population.
The text of the new law does not specifically mention burkas but makes it illegal for anyone to wear clothing ‘that covers all or most of the face’ in any public place.
Left-wing MP Denis Ducarme left no doubt the rules were targeting-Muslim extremists.
He said after the vote by the home affairs committee: ‘This sends a very strong signal to radical Islamists.’
The French-speaking liberals (Note: the use of the word liberal here is the European traditional meaning, here in the US we might use the word libertarian or conservative - PJABBER) who have proposed the law argue that an inability to identify people presents a security risk and that the veil is a ‘walking prison’ for women.
Daniel Bacquelaine, the bill’s chief promoter, said the ban might also be used against potentially violent demonstrators who covered their faces.
He estimated that only a few hundred women in Belgium wore facial veils, but said it was a rising trend.
The MP said Belgium did not wish to follow the ‘bad examples’ of Britain and the Netherlands, where he said many Muslims lived in separate communities.
The proposal is expected to become law as early as June as it has the support of all five parties in the coalition government. But opponents may appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
There have been debates over banning the burka in France, Switzerland and Italy.
This week France’s highest administrative body said a full burka ban, which is supported by all political parties, could violate the French constitution and European law.
Brussels has been linked to Islamic extremist terror operations a number of times since September 11. In 2003, 18 men were convicted of involvement in a terror cell with links to Al Qaeda.
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