字幕列表 影片播放
-
Tensions are high in France in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks and retaliatory
-
violence and threats against the Muslim community have already been made. There have been
-
numerous instances in which Mosques were defaced, shot at or bombed. The question is, are
-
these isolated incidents or does France an issue with Islam?
-
Unfortunately, France does have a somewhat antagonistic relationship with it’s Muslim
-
population. France is a secular nation with strict laws designed to separate church and
-
state.
-
Some French policy-makers have used these secular beliefs to make things more difficult
-
for
-
France’s Muslim population. Practicing Islam demands physical expressions of belief from
-
most
-
of its followers. This includes wearing a hijab, or headscarf. In 2004, French policy-
-
makers were able to legally ban hijabs and other religious head coverings from public
-
schools.
-
Politicians responsible for the legislation said conspicuous religious symbols in public
-
schools
-
conflicted with the secular policies, or what the french call, “laïcite.”
-
Later, in 2011, veils that cover the face were officially outlawed from public places
-
on the
-
grounds of public safety. Lawmakers touted the ruling as a win for feminism and freedom
-
of
-
expression, but some Muslim women argue the opposite point. Muslim women who choose to
-
express their religious beliefs freely by wearing a veil are now unable to access public
-
places
-
without either being fined or jeopardizing their beliefs. If they followed the letter
-
of the law they
-
would be essentially trapped in their homes. And trapping woman in their homes is the opposite
-
of feminism.
-
The French Collective Against Islamophobia also says that since the new law, there has
-
been
-
“an explosion” in physical attacks against veiled women.
-
Adding to all of this is the fact that, one of the leading right-wing politicians, Marine
-
Le Pen
-
who obtained 18 percent of the votes in the first round of the 2012 presidential elections,
-
is
-
unabashedly anti-Islam. Her National Front party wants to drastically cut down on immigration
-
into the country. According to her Muslims "are advancing in the neighborhoods. They
-
are
-
putting pressure on the population. They are recruiting young boys [to train for jihad].”
-
In April
-
2014, Le Pen also announced that in towns won by National Front candidates, there would
-
no longer be pork-free lunch alternatives in some public schools, which obviously affects
-
both
-
Muslim and Jewish children.
-
All of these things contribute to some news organizations labeling France as Islamophobic.
-
And it’s hard to ignore the signs of disturbing intolerance in the region. Since the Charlie
-
Hebdo
-
shootings, there have reportedly been more than 50 separate attacks on the Muslim community.
-
If you found this video interesting, subscribe to TestTube! And check out this other video
-
about the rise of Nazism in Germany. Thanks for watching.