I lived in France for more than four years during my PhD studies and I had the chance to really understand what does it mean to live in a democratic country, but today the French Parliament's committee proposition concerning a partial ban of the (mainly) Muslim woman's face veil is really unusual and illegitimate in my opinion.
The more than 200 pages report proposes to ban the face veil in public transport facilities, schools, hospitals and government buildings. The committee also recommended to refuse residence cards and citizenship from people showing a particular "radical religious practice". That means there is a discrimination based on religion or customs which differ from country to country.
I would like to recall the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states:
Art 2 Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. [Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.]
Art. 15 (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality, (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
If the resolution will pass in the General Assembly I think France is going back 100 years on the democratic road. Can you imagine, those woman can not use public transport anymore or girls can not attend schools anymore. Similar scenarios can be projected when for example an orthodox Jew, a Buddhist monk or a cleric wearing particular clothes can not apply anymore for French citizenship or a resident permit. It is outrageous and I hope such resolution will not be admitted.
The more than 200 pages report proposes to ban the face veil in public transport facilities, schools, hospitals and government buildings. The committee also recommended to refuse residence cards and citizenship from people showing a particular "radical religious practice". That means there is a discrimination based on religion or customs which differ from country to country.
I would like to recall the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states:
Art 2 Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. [Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.]
Art. 15 (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality, (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
If the resolution will pass in the General Assembly I think France is going back 100 years on the democratic road. Can you imagine, those woman can not use public transport anymore or girls can not attend schools anymore. Similar scenarios can be projected when for example an orthodox Jew, a Buddhist monk or a cleric wearing particular clothes can not apply anymore for French citizenship or a resident permit. It is outrageous and I hope such resolution will not be admitted.
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