Religion??

Nothing symbolizes the crevice between radical Islam and west as non-violently and emblematically as BURQA. This month, Belgium passed laws banning women (and presumably men, actually law makes it illegal to wear any clothing that prevents the user from being identified. This just happens to include niqabs and burkas, but it also includes motorbike helmets, masks, balaclavas, etc.)from wearing a full burqa in public. In France, President Sarkozy is trying to institute a similar law.

Surely, these events have drawn a lot of media attention lately about the opposition to burkas being worn in European countries.

Of course, as expected, Muslim leaders, even Catholic leaders and groups like Amnesty International, are protesting the laws, saying it is a discrimination against Muslims, violation of human rights, freedom of speech and so forth.

The problem is, they view the burqa as an individual choice - which is arguable - and a religious requirement, which it is not (numerous Islamic scholars claim that there is not a single reference in Quran that mandates women to wear burqa).

And as far as my rationality tells me, a form of clothing or for that matter anything tangible cannot be a flagship of any religion. If religion offers such a carte blanche, then perhaps we should see the reaction people would have to someone claiming their religion mandated that they carry a machete at all times. (Sikhs, for example, are obliged to carry a Kirpan, or small sword).

And the best is to argue that ban violates the freedom of speech whereas Burqa itself violates the freedom of speech of a woman. It is a hauler of the school of thought where women are considered to be inferior sexual temptress, whose female form is a problem and must be covered and they should subscribe to the views mandated by the men.

Rather than debating we all should understand that these bans are hardly a case to pick on Muslims but to counter the security threat these veils can pose. Burqas and niqabs or any face covering attire present a security risk. Anyone might lurk under those shrouds – female or male, Muslim or non-Muslim, decent citizen, fugitive, or criminal – with who knows what evil purposes. Someone in a burka can't be identified. They could be anyone, they could have anything under their clothing.

A person masked and anonymous, who could be carrying any sort of device under formless clothing, will and should always be seen as a potential threat. This is why anyone wearing a motorbike helmet into a bank will be asked to take it off or be escorted out by security. It is not something concocted up to suppress Muslims.

The time calls us to be more proactive to stand against the ruthless terrorism and to support every concern rather than howling and countering such measures on the name of religion and faith.

P.S I am not a very qualified person to write on this whole issue but as a foreigner in France, it made me think about the different nationals and religions that enter into a new country and a new culture. Aren’t they suppose to adapt to it and embrace it but not to refuse it or worse is even imposing their own culture. I am not against religious freedom but religious freedom also encompasses the respect and honor to other cultures, traditions and desires.

http://www.monaeltahawy.com/blog/?p=253 (Do read this blog also)

07:50 AM,20 Dec 2009,Lille France

Bienvenue !!

The summer night is like a perfection of thought.

The summer feels as if it is coming to take shape in northern France (never too late) - there is definite warmth in the air and sunshine in the skies. I have just returned from my French class and the summer clear blue sky reminded of Indian summer and yep I am flying back to New Delhi in mid of June for a vacation.
More than half of a year in this corner of the world alone has tested my patience to every extent but still could not stop me from appreciating this beautiful place. I decided today to write something about my experience (somebody is also bugging me from a long time to start writing about it.)
I suppose there are stages to living in a foreign country. An early stage when you are in an excitement/shock of settling into a new country struggling to find a routine in life. When you compare many things and judge few of them. In this stage the whole country seems to be like a black box and it takes lot of energy to understand and to penetrate through that box.
And next stage, when life settles a bit and when you know where to buy your stuff and where to go for a nice evening bear and with whom. When you notice difference between the things and start attributing to the reason of cultural difference.

I am right now in that transition from early stage to this second stage and I suppose that's why I haven't written about France at all, I was really busy in clearing my way out here and comprehending things in French way.
It all began not so long ago when I was an intern at the Ecole Lille. Long story cut short I fell in love with this country, and it's been back and forth between New Delhi and Lille since then. It seemed only natural to take up the challenge of doing a job in this country. So here I am, in France that's new for me. In a life that's new for me. The newness of my life, mercifully, has come gently. As I am enjoying this newness, I always miss the home.

So with this blog I hope to start to write about all the little moments that make up my life in France, to share my love for food and as usual do some life philosophy time to time.

Well as habitual I cannot finish this post without stating some or lot of complains….. :)
Living in a foreign country comes with loads of difficulties. Perhaps the most obvious difficulty of living in a foreign country is the fact that everybody speaks a language which sounds very sweet but you don’t get a single word. But what could be a better language then ‘Le Français’ to learn. (Though my progress has not been very good but my teacher assures that it will come...) It really is very odd. How is it that I can talk to perfect strangers, go dancing all alone and enjoy karaoke, but not have the guts to practice a language? People like me should be deported immediately for being lazy imperialists. Oh well, it's only few months.

But what is more irritating for me here is to manage the ‘coins’. My problem is everything here costs ‘X euro YY cents’ and it becomes next to impossible for me to count those YY coins standing in front of person who is so eagerly waiting for me to pay and leave. . So, whenever I buy anything, I pay with bills to avoid showing my ignorance in handling coins and this has resulted in a pile of coins at home. Lol… I think I will soon find a way to dispose all those coins.

P.S. I do not like cheese but people treat me here for this like Aristotle was treated by his contemporaries for stating ‘earth is round’.


This France, my France. I do not know when this sense of possessiveness will arrive in me.