Sunday, February 20, 2011

French President Sarkozy calls for Debate on Islam

From Atlas Shrugs:
Sarkozy calls for debate on Islam
PARIS, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he wants to launch a national debate on the role and influence in France of Islam, the country's second-largest religion.
Last week Sarkozy joined British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in announcing "multiculturalism is not working" and setting out to formalize the relationship between Islam and the fiercely secular state of France, France24 reported Friday.
Sarkozy's call for the debate is viewed as a move to woo voters from the far-right National Front party.
"It is out of the question that French society should be influenced by Islam," Sarkozy said. "This is a secular country."
France24 said one member of the conservative Union for a Popular Movement told right-wing publication Le Figaro: "The role of Islam in France is going to be a central issue in the 2012 presidential campaign."
Although Catholicism runs deep in France, secularism is enforced by a 1905 law stating:
"The Republic does not officially recognize, pay salaries for, nor subsidize any religion.
"It is henceforth forbidden to erect or display any religious signs or emblems publicly, and political meetings may not take place in places of worship."
Legislation in 2004 banned the display of religious symbols, including crucifixes, in schools, and last autumn the ban was extended to include the wearing of the full Islamic veil in public places.
The law also bans religious processions but does not address prayer meetings in the city streets, some resulting from overcrowding issues.
"We need to have a debate on prayer meetings in the streets," France24 reported Sarkozy said to his right-wing faithful. "In a secular country, we cannot tolerate having a public call to prayer."

6 comments:

Silverfiddle said...

It's about time these Euro=dhimmis woke up. Hopefully, they'll piss off the muzzie wuzzies so bad they leave. Taking away the welfare checks, cars and public housing would do it too...

jeppo said...

Muslims are already leaving Germany, with a net emigration of more than 10,000 a year. Germany has effectively ended non-EU immigration, so the Muslims are taking their burkas, hijabs, niqabs and going home. Hopefully this trend will spread across the rest of Europe.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,714534,00.html

Alexander Münch said...

"Three strikes and you are out" Law must be applied here !

1st strike -A friendly warning , Pat on the shoulder, and a Smile !
Name and Social security No. to be added to the INTERPOL data base !
( To be performed by officer Goldberg ! )

2nd strike - Not a friendly warning ! Jab in the Jaw ! $1000 fine !
Surveillance cameras and phone tapping to be installed !
( To be performed by officer "Red Neck" ! )

3rd strike - Jab in the jaw ! $10,000 fine ! Escort to the nearest airport !
Put the M/F's name on the "FBI's MOST WANTED" list !
( To be performed by the [ red neck's brother in law ] US Marshal - Wolfgang Shultz Fon Gemacht a Gesheft !

P.S.
In case Officer Goldberg can't make it because his daughter got measles, I will replace him with the 4th strike procedure !...
.

Syd Walker said...

Yet more of the antics of Sarko the Sayan.

Does he want to ban church bells for making a noise?

Pastorius said...

Syd,

You think it's good that Muslims pray in the middle of the streets in Paris so cars can't make their way through?

Are you aware that France is a Secular state in which public displays of religiosity are frowned upon?

http://www.frenchentree.com/societe-francaise/displayarticle.asp?id=20486

More than 100 years ago France passed a law that enshrined the idea of laïcité - a concept that is essential to the modern French Republic and still a powerful force in current politics.

It is a difficult word to translate directly into English. It has no obvious equivalent although it is related to the word ‘laymen’. The British idea of ‘secularism’ is perhaps the closest but also does not convey the full force of the French expression.

In essence laïcité means the strict separation of state from church – in other words to have no state religion.

The French state officially regards religion as a private affair.

Pastorius said...

Think about it this way, Syd; if Muslims are going to clog up the street with their prayers, then the police are obliged to administer the streets as a place of worship.

That is a violation of the French law of strict separation between church and state.