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FRENCH PRIME MINISTER Manuel Valls has slammed a New York Times article prompted by the debate over the burkini swimsuit, in which French Muslim women complained of discrimination and even “persecution”.
The article, which appeared on Friday, painted an “unacceptable image of France because it is false,” Valls wrote in the French-language online edition of the Huffington Post.
New York Times reporter Lillie Dremaux solicited the views of European Muslim women on the burkini debate, distilling more than 1,000 comments for the article.
One respondent said she was “afraid of having to wear a yellow crescent on my clothes one day, like the Star of David for Jews not so long ago.”
Another said:
French Muslim women would be justified to request asylum in the United States… given how many persecutions we are subjected to.
Valls objected “with the greatest vigour… that the journalist quotes women of the Muslim faith suggesting that their voices are muzzled, to depict France as oppressing them.”
The Socialist prime minister, who came under fire for saying last month that the burkini was “based notably on the enslavement of women,” reiterated his stance in the Huffington Post piece.
Blasting foreign media for accusing secular France of seeking to “undermine Muslims’ freedom to practise their faith,” he said: “It is precisely for freedom that we are fighting.”
Valls saw an “incredible reversal” in comments that he said presented the burkini as “an instrument of women’s liberation”, citing one respondent who said her sister “could finally play with her children on the beach instead of sitting in the shadow.”
Another said “wearing the veil does not mean being enslaved by a man… it means reappropriating the body and femininity.”
These women’s assertions suggest “complete acceptance of male domination”, Valls wrote.
“In France, we consider to the contrary that… women cannot be the subject of the slightest domination. And the idea that women should be removed from the public arena is indeed male domination,” he added.
The prime minister linked the promotion of the burkini to Islamist “proselytising”.
It’s not an anodyne swimming costume. It’s a provocation (of) radical Islamism that is on the rise and wants to impose itself in the public arena.
He said the “great majority of Muslims… do not recognise themselves in this proselytising minority that is exploiting their religion.”
In France, which counts a population of five million Muslims, burkinis are extremely rare and only a minority of Muslim women remain covered on beaches.
Valls said France was “proud that Islam is the country’s second religion. Millions of citizens of the Muslim faith or culture respect their duties perfectly and fully enjoy their duties.”
The burkini debate came as France has been rocked by a string of deadly attacks claimed by Islamic State militants.
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Why request asylum in the United States, I’d have thought a Muslim majority country would be a better choice? Unless of course, this is just hyperbolic nonsense being peddled as journalism!
The United States guarantees freedom of religion, France seems to want freedom from religion
If asked I would guess must Muslim women would prefer to live oppressed in France than in a Muslim country
Even the very rich ones
And most Muslim majority countries are corrupt dumps.
I think France has it right, if that’s the case.
That’s a rich comment coming from someone living in Ireland, the most corrupt country in the EU and number 24 on a list of the worlds most corrupt countries. Colombia is 48th on the same list. Just to put things into context.
John I don’t know where you get your info but it’s wrong.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index
19 red thumbs for stating a fact, as long as Irish citizens accept the corruption they are the victims of, nothing will change.
18th in the most recent list and better than France at 24, Italy 61 and Bulgaria, the most corrupt in the EU at 69th.
Corruption in Ireland is pretty low scale in the overall scheme of things.
I prefer our tolerance in Ireland than the mental hang ups Official France has toward religion and religious practice and customs.
Doesn’t really change the fact that nine of the ten most corrupt countries on earth are what would be considered “Muslim countries”. The only non Muslim one in the top 10 being North Korea.
17 EU countries score lower than Ireland on transparency international list for 2015. FACT.
She is right. She she should seek asylum in U.s.a where there’s no dole and free accommodation like in France. Anyone who thinks France is intolerant is crazy.
Just because it’s religion or cultural doesn’t make it right. France have it exactly right but are going about protecting human rights in a clumsy manner -
Yes Muslim Women are opressed by their husbands, Fathers, Brothers, I doubt they would dress like that otherwise.
I think this is the link that John used……
http://www.untruefacts/pulledouttajohnsarse.com
Von, not all are. Some really do wear it as a ‘free’ choice because they believe it’s requirement of their god. Now, you could get into a debate about how free a choice can be if it’s based on a god who takes an interest in women’s clothing etc. But that’s a murky philosophical swamp. We all have irrational beliefs, whether we’re aware of them or not, and many of our decisions are made for irrational reasons.
The core issue with burkas etc is not attempts to ‘rescue’ Muslim women from male oppression. It’s about what such religious symbolism represents to many non-muslim French people i.e.political islam and specifically attitudes to non-muslim women. ‘Easy Meat’ as one commentator on the UK Pakistani grooming gangs described it.
@John003 funny that. My thoughts exactly. Seems they have no interest in living in the Middle East…
France does not make it’s women travel to a neighbouring country if they need an abortion.
Donal France has a Muslim population of 10% as it stands. The prison system is disproportionately made up of foreign born and non indigenous French. The idea of integration is largely a myth and not only is the society dealing with efforts to exploit western secularism, France is under attack. The burkini show is but a red herring, the issue is that the threat from many inside is a very legitimate one in that country and beyond. A resolution needs to come from all communities or else civil war looms, I’m a realist.
@marshmalow, I think it was a senior Islamic cleric in Egypt that said if you don’t cover your meat….
Australia it was. But of course the idea is not original to him by any means.
“A senior Muslim cleric in Australia has sparked a furore by comparing women who do not wear a headscarf to “uncovered meat”, implying that they invited sexual assault.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/oct/26/australia.marktran
Women must be mutilated because men can’t control themselves… https://www.rt.com/news/358199-female-genital-mutilation-egypt/ Islam is one screwed up religion.
O-’Sean. You are so right. They are thinking of the next big boom and try and wipe out a few more People including Children, while we are still talking about the burkini.
People in all Countries will have to face this fact and act on it.
@Beachmaster. They are not all over the World for one reason.
France is very tolerant of the Muslim. Community, but after the attacks anyone would be weary.
They want to re the World. Thats all.
Beware People. Don’t be duped.
““afraid of having to wear a yellow crescent on my clothes one day, like the Star of David for Jews not so long ago.”…interesting she is opposed to wearing a garment that distinctively marks them out as “different” like say a burka.
One is by choice,the other is forced,duh.
..and women CHOSE to wear that tent in 40+ degrees, my hole!
Do women actually CHOOSE to wear make-up even when it’s inconvenient?
Tripe again as if all Muslims are subject to a Saudi style regime.
The French, quite rightly, are concerned about transforming France into Syria
I’m afraid it’s worse than that.
Syria was a prosperous, stable secular state until it was undermined by outside forces intent on regime change for their own agenda
“outside forces” aka Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
That’s not entirely true. Syria had an active political Islamist movement for many decades which, as it has globally, had been gaining in popularity before the war. Especially in rural areas.
“During World War II, the House of the Elect relocated to Damascus. There it forged links to other Islamist societies and in 1944 rechristened itself the Syrian incarnation of the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement that had originated in Egypt sixteen years earlier….
When the government issued a revised, overtly secularist constitution in 1973, the Brothers launched a series of mass protests, forcing the government to back down and stipulate that Syria’s head of state must be a Muslim….
At first, Islamist militants targeted prominent figures in the Ba’th Party and armed forces, particularly high-ranking ‘Alawis. But through the 1970s, violence broadened to include assaults on government facilities and public symbols of Ba’thi rule, including district party offices, police stations and military encampments.”
http://origins.osu.edu/article/syrias-islamic-movement-and-2011-12-uprising
True Marlow….
But it was contained until outside forces intervened to tip the balance towards chaos and destruction.
@mcshite, yep Syria was a bastion of secular western values, free elections, freedom of speech, free press, WHF what ever you are drinking I’ll have one!!
Twas no utopia granted…… Where is for that matter?
Look at it then….. Look at it now.
Which is better.
Have a drink on me……
Apparently any comments critical of the New York Times some how violate the comment policy and will be censored.
Mine was taken down because I accused the journalist of slanting her story. So you’re right.
Islamo whinging on an epic scale
The only whinging around here is coming from you three knuckle heads.
Hi guys, maybe familiarise yourselves with the comments policy around here; 1.Do not make personal remarks about the author of a story.
Thus speaketh the bi polar incontinent Islamo fascist.
Tariq never seems to be too far behind Petr.
Such a pair of cry babies, LOL!
Perhaps they are married……..
They should be applauded as two men proudly standing up to the world to display their man love.
I’m proud of you guys….
You are the reason Ireland voted YES!
@patrick watson that exact thought just popped into my head…are they the same person??
McShite — Are you once of those boneheads who thinks ‘gay’ in an insult? *facepalm*
Howdy Dain / Liam,
For those not in the loop, ‘Dain Bramage’ is Liam Egan; an Islamist living in Wexford. Read all about Dain / Liam, and all his works, and all his empty promises, here:
@petr. The first 10 times you posted it was lame. Not its just tiresome.
That doesn’t make sense why is an Islamist always making anti Islam comments
Petr/Tariq no one is buying that crap. Boring, move on.
LOL
Not at all…….
But I suspect your husband does.
Margie , you being generous there . The first 5 times was lame ! ..
Media and politicians. …2 lying s***stirring c***suckers playing an agenda to suit whoever owns them.
The USA could offer asylum to the 7,000 Calais jungle inhabitants.
Excellent idea. They should also send a cruiser to collect em off the libyan coast. Afterall twas u.s. war planes that bombed it and changed the regime/destroyed civil society there.
Jews are leaving France in record numbers because non-Jewish Europeans have no intention of dealing with antisemitism when it comes from another minority community:
“The overriding reason Jews cite for leaving France as a steady rise in the rate of anti-Semitism over the past 15 years.
A 2013 EU poll found that 74% of French Jews are now so scared of being attacked for their religion that take steps to prevent themselves being identified as Jewish.”
“But what makes this new era of anti-Semitic violence in Europe different from previous ones is that traditional Western patterns of anti-Semitic thought have now merged with a potent strain of Muslim Judeophobia. Violence against Jews in Western Europe today, according to those who track it, appears to come mainly from Muslims, who in France, the epicenter of Europe’s Jewish crisis, outnumber Jews 10 to 1.
That the chief propagators of contemporary European anti-Semitism may be found in the Continent’s large and disenfranchised Muslim immigrant communities—communities that are themselves harassed and assaulted by hooligans associated with Europe’s surging right—is flummoxing to, among others, Europe’s elites.
France’s 475,000 Jews represent less than 1 percent of the country’s population. Yet last year, according to the French Interior Ministry, 51 percent of all racist attacks targeted Jews.”
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/04/is-it-time-for-the-jews-to-leave-europe/386279/
Jews are actually the most persecuted people in France.
It is no longer possible for Jews to attend public schools in France
They would just be physically attacked and verbally abused
Justification for this is treatment of their Palestinian brothers by Israel
And in the UK – by a very wide margin. But the apologists will claim that this is merely Zionists reporting all criticism of Israel as an antisemitic attack, for nefarious political reasons, which gives them an excuse to ignore it (while simultaneously being antisemitic again).
Within the UK Labour party it’s all dismissed as a Tory or right wing Labour conspiracy. Nothing to do with, say, the block vote for Labour within all majority-muslim constituencies of course.
Privately many pro-Palestinian campaigners, for example, will admit that plain old anti-semitism is rife within the movement. Their solution is to ‘challenge it’. You can imagine the life-changing effect that such challenges have on the antisemites… But it allows them to say that they recognize the problem and are, like, so totally against all that bad stuff.
No one wants to notice that the Jews of Europe have been failed by all of us, again.
What utter nonsense.
And they require armed guards outside Jewish schools. And kindergartens.
“A teacher at the school, believed to be aged 30, and his two children, aged three and six, are reported to have been killed.
The third child killed was aged between eight and 10 years old and belonged to another teacher at the school, French media report.”
On the spur of the moment, (Mohammed) Merah turned his high-powered scooter around and headed for a nearby Jewish school. He dismounted and put the scooter on its stand before shooting at point-blank range at three children under the age of ten waiting for a school bus.
It has also been revealed how Merah, who claimed to be linked to an al-Qaida fringe group, had fooled investigators after being summoned to explain visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan in November”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/24/toulouse-shootings-assassin-jewish-school
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-17426313
“Jewish man stabbed in France, attacker shouts ‘Allahu Akhbar’”… https://www.rt.com/news/356472-france-rabbi-stab-strasbourg/
I can’t believe The Journal are allowing the blatant Hasbara trolling from Israeli Embassy staff above by Marlowemallow, those lies are slanderous.
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/The-Goyim-Guide-to-Hasbara-Trolls-from-Jonathon-Blakeley22nov11.shtml
‘Hasbara Trolls are generally quite polite at first. They pop up when someone is critical of Israel and it’s policies or interests. They target, write, engage, educate and insult. From my research it seems that there is some kind of hierarchy of trolls, they have leaders who tell them targets and guide them with their spin. Most work voluntarily but some are paid for by wealthy sponsors. They track topical keywords and persons using public websites such as topsy.com. Problems arise if one rejects the explanations being offered by the trolls, then their troll nature becomes apparent very quickly as they resort to smears and abuse.’
ad hominem ad ˈhɒmɪnɛm/ adverb & adjective 1. (of an argument or reaction) directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining.
‘Netanyahu: Nazis, not Jerusalem mufti, responsible for Holocaust’
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-nazis-not-jerusalem-mufti-responsible-for-holocaust/
Tariq/ gombeen, playing the so-called ‘Hasbara’ card every time normal citizens of this fine Irish Republican state truths about radical (and not so radical) Islamic murders of Jews, Christians, atheists – hell, even Muslims – shows a really moronic mix of bluster and nonsense.
Got to love how French secularism gives way to big buckshttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/20/french-outrage-beach-closure-saudi-kings-visit-salman-riviera-villa-vallauris
It’s got the second highest print circulation in the US (WSJ is first) and the highest number of online only subscriptions of any US news paper website.
Thumbs down to facts. Welcome to the Journal!
Bizarre isn’t it?
French politics at is best…..meanwhile the country is getting worst year after year….but we go chasing burkini……sadly pathetic….1 of the worst prime minister ever…..
Looks like The New York Times hit the nail on the head there.
Oh dear, the usual racist nonsense being trotted out here.
Oh dear , the usual racist word being trotted out here ..
The racists are rabid tonight Petr, they’ve been starved of articles the past few days where they can spew their vile Islamophobia and racism.
Indeed. I picture the likes of Suzie Sunshine or Dain / Liam when they see an article that will allow them to throw their racist load all over the shop: typing feverishly with one hand, the other hand down their pants doing something else feverishly.
LOL! Most definitely Petr! Angry people who multi-task badly!
Petr you seem to have masturbation on your mind a lot .. you’re always talking about .. you’d expect that kind of talk from a teenager .. Oh and can you point out a racist comment that I’ve made ?
“…you’re always talking about”
Point out one other time I talked about it.
That’s what I thought…
You said similar to other posters but I do remember you being put in your place over saying it . Where’s the racist comment I made?
Me: “Point out one other time I talked about it.”
Suzie: “You said similar to other posters”
Epic fail.
Petr .. if you call someone a racist then you really should back it up …
Suzie — If you accuse someone of “always talking about” something then you really should back it up …
Petr you’re just playing games now .. you said the same to Peter Fechter and he quickly put you in your place. .
@tariq, starved of articles lol, starved for like 12 hours before your twisted belief system makes the headlines again. And Islam is a currently dysfunctional believe system and race has nothing to do with it. As for Islamaphobia, as in fear of Islam, yes and would be the same as fear of the Huns or fear of the visgoths or fear of any group of dark aged barbarians.
Suzie — Your clock has been cleaned. You made a claim and you can’t back it up.
Clock has been cleaned eh? We can add dyslexia to your bi polar and incontinence conditions Petr.
Slang for striking someone across the face .. and you’ve just said that to a woman on a public forum . Silly boy. .
Still can’t back it up eh Suzie. PWNED! lol
Pwned? Nah my friend ..you’ve just showed yourself up ..
PMSL !
New York times nothing. UT a liberal rag…
Sure how is the burkini dangerous if they recognise her but couldn’t identify the two friends wearing bikinis! Madness!
Moslem women have some cheek to invoke the yellow star and Jews. They hate Jews.
In trying to protect the rights of religions to practice freely we seem to accept that religion rulings or norms are always right – really? What about the inquisition, what about the abuse scandals? A religion that forces women to cover up in Burkas or Burkinis or whatever doesn’t recognise equal rights. Equality is one of the principals of the French Republic – they don’t always get it right but they are right on this one. I have no wish to see the streets of Europe overrun with Burka clad women – might be acceptable if Muslim men also wore them – now that would be equality – if it was their choice of course!
They won’t keek asylum in Saudi Arabia that’s for sure
have your say