Tran sparenc y, dignity and equality are the words that the French have used to justify the ban on face-veils (Burqa) at public places. The French Parliament on Tuesday approved a bill that bans people from draping veils that hide their faces. This on the pretext that hiding your face from your neighbors amounts to violation of French values. Although many hoped that the idea of passing the bill would come under heavy opposition, the bill passed quite easily with 335 members voting in favor of it and only one hapless fellow against it. The bill will next appear in the senate where it is likely to pass as well. However considering the unconstitutional element involved in the bill, it may not pass the test where the watchdogs of the French constitution scrutinize it. One cannot but miss the part where the bill mentions ‘public-places’; when in fact it is the public places only where Muslim women feel the greatest need to hide their face.

This campaign of banning face-veil comes as nothing short of a blatant mockery of the sentiments of the Muslim population in France. Coupled with the fact that France hosts the largest number of Muslims among all the European countries – around 5 million out of a total of 64 million - this ban is surely going to affect the lives of thousands of Muslim women. You only hope that the ban is choked out of life after you hear hundreds of French Muslim Women plead helplessly against such a provocative ban.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that a Muslim community has become the target of an outrageous ban. Earlier as well Belgium passed a law to ban head scarves. Spain has a similar law in place. Switzerland passed a law that banned the construction of minarets upon mosques. At a time when the world is progressing at the rate of knots, it is really a surprise how conveniently governments across the globe are able to pass laws that are so constrictive and narrow minded. Not only do these hideous bans come as a blow to the freedom of choice that people should enjoy in democratic governments, they tear apart the false secular tag that these governments carry on their sleeves.

Over the last few years, especially after the 9-11 episode, the campaign against Islam and Muslim population across the globe has gathered steam.

First Iraq was invaded on the pretext of weapons of mass destruction being present there. There were none to be found. It was proved later that the invasion was a mere plot to secure the oil wealth of Iraq. The world came to know about it. However everybody remained silent. The war in Iraq still rages on. Next, after the world trade center was brought down, Afghanistan was invaded. It is no secret that the 9-11 was an inside job. Some even believe that it was a ritual that is supposed to take place after every eleven years coinciding with the solar cycle. Yet Afghanistan was invaded to catch the perpetrators of 9-11. The war in Afghanistan still rages on. Illegitimate bans are levied at things that have huge significance for Muslims. I would say deliberately so. Yet things go on. Iran shouts at the top of its voice, that it does not have a nuclear weapon; that it does not want to have one. It pleads that its nuclear programme is only meant to produce drugs for cancer. The international watch dog – International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA – which in place just to make sure that countries like Iran are saying the truth, confirms that. Still waves after waves of sanctions are levied upon it. Why? Israel on the other hand has a ‘secret’ nuclear energy programme that everyone is aware of and yet everyone is turning a blind eye towards. Why? Double standards are starkly at show everywhere around the globe; undermining the Muslim cause at each and every step. To add to all this, this latest campaign of banning the face-veils in France has propped up. One wonders how much further the hypocrisy of the world can go.

Recently in a talk show hosted on Press TV, a caller raised a very interesting question. If the world community was getting together to rally against the Mulsim world, why does the Muslim community as a whole not come together as well and meet them eye to eye? Indeed it was a question that asks for serious answering. Nearly one quarter of the total population of the world is Muslim; roughly 1.5 billion out of 6 billion. Why don`t we stand up united against those who mean us harm? We surely have the platform. But we still have not been able to spring up. It is not that we have not come together on a common front. We surely have. We have come together in the form of the Arab Leagues and the OICs. But sadly, to no avail. If United Nations is the largest intergovernmental organization of the world which has the power of levying sanctions against Iran- accusing it of nuclear weapons when it has none - the second largest intergovernmental organization is the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) which has 57 Muslim countries as its members. Surely the numbers must count for something. Then why is OIC silent when such blatant acts of injustice are done against Muslims? It will not come as a surprise to me if many of us have not even heard about the OIC. After all it has been miserably silent ever since 1970 when it was first formed after arson against the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

We live in times where a ban of any kind raises serious eyebrows. Why then does a blatant ban on something that means so much to Muslims go unchallenged? At times when as much as banning a book has serious consequences, how can a country as democratic, secular and forward looking as France get away with banning face-veils which have so much religious and sentimental significance for Muslims. Clearly there are forces way beyond the realm of common knowledge that at work here. And indeed these are the forces that are constantly pushing Muslims around the world into a position of submission. But there is one thing that will always keep them at bay; one thing that we know; one thing they will always be ignorant about - Allah is the best of planners and He will never let their hideous plans succeed.

(Feedback at: basim.amin@yahoo.com)

Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST