This ban of the burqa is huge news in so many ways. In defense of the secular ruling by France, the strict Muslim groups have severely resisted the world around them. Biblical scripture in the book of Genesis prophesied this about the first son of Abraham, Ishmael, and the Arab nations which grew from his seed saying,"He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.". There could be no better description of this potentially violent people and their religion of Islam. So it's no wonder the world has begun to make a stand to defend themselves from such violence. In France's defense, SOMEthing must be done. This may be just the beginning not only in France, but in other countries as well.
From the perspective of Islamics living there, it is a matter of great concern. The burqa, among many other restraints have been a part of their vast religious history. It is embedded in the very fabric of their lives, even into their beliefs. If you have never embedded your life around strong religious beliefs, you will never understand how rulings such as this one can be so devastating and demeaning. If, on the other hand, you HAVE embedded your life around your religion, then you can see this ruling to be a huge threat to your beliefs and sanctification and even view it as another step towards persecution. So then the next question arises. Who's next?
Personally, I believe the strict Islamic extremists have hurt themselves because of the very aforementioned prophesy from Genesis. They must reexamine their beliefs to ensure they do not continue to ostracize themselves from the world about them. Religious beliefs CAN be practiced among many cultures, as long as you do not use the proverbial "sword" to force it on anyone else. That is what they have been doing for centuries and especially more these days and it is now biting them back with a vengeance.
--DadJohnson
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 13, 2010
Paris, France (CNN) -- France's lower house of parliament Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a ban on any veils that cover the face -- including the burqa, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women.
The vote was 335 to 1.
The measure must still go to the French Senate before it becomes law. The Senate is expected to vote on it in the week of September 20.
Amnesty International immediately condemned the vote.
"A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab in public as an expression of their identity or beliefs," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's expert on discrimination in Europe.
French people back the ban by a margin of more than four to one, the Pew Global Attitudes Project found in a survey this spring.
Some 82 percent of people polled approved of a ban, while 17 percent disapproved. That was the widest support the Washington-based think tank found in any of the five countries it surveyed.
Clear majorities also backed burqa bans in Germany, Britain and Spain, while two out of three Americans opposed it, the survey found.
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