history repeating is there purpose wednesday

What do you have to say about talk of the Burka being Banned in France?

Where does this lead? Muslim women can't leave their homes in France? What about Buddhist nuns? What about...what about...? What's really going on, France?

friend k: France boasts a pretty large Muslim minority and they are the center of quite a bit of contention. They have been talking about banning the Burka for awhile now. If they do it will be huge. In November the Swiss voted to put a ban on the construction of minarets on Muslim mosques. Europe and Islam are not getting along with now (to put it mildly).

friend l: I'm shocked? I don't know what is going on. I will buy a newspaper.

friend m: i have not heard of this until now, but if this is a serious deal then i am extremely disappointed in france. i don't need to explain the cultural, social, and religious importance of the burka to muslim society. i don't know if france thinks they are "liberating" muslim women, but meddling in the affairs of religion by a political power has caused some major problems throughout the history of mankind.

i'm going to have to go check this out now.

friend k: France (and all of Europe) are not trying to liberate Muslims, they are trying to keep their own culture alive. The arguments against Muslims in Europe are similar to some (but not all) arguments against illegal immigrants in the US.

friend m: but banning the burka sounds like quite an extreme measure to achieve a cultural goal...:\

Targeting the women (who really have no say- the Koran & Muslim men do) is infuriatingly ignorant.

friend m:extremely. i don't...agree with it no matter the cultural ramifications.

I do agree that the US and countless other countries/societies have done their share of discrimination- often leading to community violence and even internment, labor, and/or death camps to get 'unwanted' people out of the picture. Is Europe going to walk down this road again? Fighting the extremists by punishing the majority; way to be original. Oppression begets retaliation. It is the human story.