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France Citizenship Application Rejected Over Islamic Veil
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By Kenneth F. Hunt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
PARIS, France – A Moroccan national who made his wife, a French national, wear the full-body Islamic veil, known as a burqa, in public was denied his French citizenship application. This decision effectively prevents him from settling with his wife in Paris.
Eric Besson, the French immigration minister, confirmed the decision on Tuesday February 1.According to Mr. Besson, the application was denied precisely because the man, whose name has not been made public, “forced his wife to wear the full veil, deprived her of freedom of movement with her face exposed and rejected the principles of secularism and equality between men and women.”
But some fundamentalist Islamic groups praised the Morrocan man as a hero for defending his faith. For example, one blogger’s website read: “May Allah reward the brother who sacrificed the French citizenship and related material benefits for the sake of implementing the practice of Islam.”
This is the first citizenship application rejection since a French court, in 2009, denied citizenship to a Moroccan women who wore a burqa in public. Her application was rejected on the ground that French values were incompatible with a radical expression of the Islamic faith.
This most recent citizenship rejection comes just days after a report by France’s parliament, which called for a nation-wide ban of all burqas and niqabs (masks that cover only the face) in public places, including in government offices, schools, hospitals, and aboard public transportation. President Nicolas Sarkozy supports the measure and famously said that burqas are “not welcome” in secular France.
Legislation has stalled for the time being, however, because the French government is seeking advice about the legality of such a ban, according to Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Despite this legislative caution, Mr. Fillon publicly lauded the citizenship application rejection, telling a French radio station that “[t]his case is about a religious radical: he imposes the burqa, he imposes the separation of men and women in his own home and he refuses to shake the hands of women.”
Beyond the obvious legal problems and impunity issues, France could risk alienating its large Muslim majority. But only 1,900 women in France regularly wear burqas in public, according to Interior Ministry statistics, so political ramifications of such a ban could be minimal.
For more information, please see:
LOS ANGELES TIMES – France denies citizenship to Moroccan man over burka – 5 February 2010
EURONEWS – France refuses citizenship in burqa case – 3 February 2010
NEW YORK TIMES – France: Nationality to be denied over veil – 3 February 2010
FRANCE24 – Man who forced wife to wear burqa is denied French citizenship – 2 February 2010
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
PARIS, France – A Moroccan national who made his wife, a French national, wear the full-body Islamic veil, known as a burqa, in public was denied his French citizenship application. This decision effectively prevents him from settling with his wife in Paris.
Eric Besson, the French immigration minister, confirmed the decision on Tuesday February 1.According to Mr. Besson, the application was denied precisely because the man, whose name has not been made public, “forced his wife to wear the full veil, deprived her of freedom of movement with her face exposed and rejected the principles of secularism and equality between men and women.”
But some fundamentalist Islamic groups praised the Morrocan man as a hero for defending his faith. For example, one blogger’s website read: “May Allah reward the brother who sacrificed the French citizenship and related material benefits for the sake of implementing the practice of Islam.”
This is the first citizenship application rejection since a French court, in 2009, denied citizenship to a Moroccan women who wore a burqa in public. Her application was rejected on the ground that French values were incompatible with a radical expression of the Islamic faith.
This most recent citizenship rejection comes just days after a report by France’s parliament, which called for a nation-wide ban of all burqas and niqabs (masks that cover only the face) in public places, including in government offices, schools, hospitals, and aboard public transportation. President Nicolas Sarkozy supports the measure and famously said that burqas are “not welcome” in secular France.
Legislation has stalled for the time being, however, because the French government is seeking advice about the legality of such a ban, according to Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Despite this legislative caution, Mr. Fillon publicly lauded the citizenship application rejection, telling a French radio station that “[t]his case is about a religious radical: he imposes the burqa, he imposes the separation of men and women in his own home and he refuses to shake the hands of women.”
Beyond the obvious legal problems and impunity issues, France could risk alienating its large Muslim majority. But only 1,900 women in France regularly wear burqas in public, according to Interior Ministry statistics, so political ramifications of such a ban could be minimal.
For more information, please see:
LOS ANGELES TIMES – France denies citizenship to Moroccan man over burka – 5 February 2010
EURONEWS – France refuses citizenship in burqa case – 3 February 2010
NEW YORK TIMES – France: Nationality to be denied over veil – 3 February 2010
FRANCE24 – Man who forced wife to wear burqa is denied French citizenship – 2 February 2010
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