Posted on 09/04/2004 2:37:42 PM PDT by nwrep
LONDON: At least 30 Sikh children in Paris and its suburbs are to keep their turbans on as they enter their school gates on Thursday in a showdown between the global Sikh community's right-to-turban campaign and a controversial French law.
The new law makes it illegal to wear Sikh turbans, Muslim hijabs or Jewish yarmulkes to school. Outsize crucifixes are a no-no as well.
The Sikhs, estimated at roughly 10,000 in France, are the smallest minority affected by the proposed ban, but their Europe-wide campaign has been the loudest.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mejindarpal Kaur of the campaign group United Sikhs representing British Sikhs told TNN the French Sikhs' battle for the turban was not over.
Kudrat Singh, United Sikhs director in France said, he was hoping against hope that the new law would "not force any Sikh school child to stay away from school because a right to education is every child's human right. About 150 French Sikh children will be affected by the law".
Let them go back to the Indian subcontinent then. Or take the ugly things off.
No. They're good people, and I welcome them here.
Doesn't look anything like a fair fight.
I know I'm parting with alot of Freepers on this one, probably to the flaming extent...
I don't see a difference between the rag, the skull-cap and the gold cross around the neck other than representing different religions.
(Clarification: Truth. As for me an my house, I follow the Lord.)
You know, back here in the IN GOD WE TRUST USA, we have a FIRST AMMENDMENT!
Please, don't get me started on the second one.
I think France is flailing in the wrong direction. Who really cares how you look? How about finding out what you think and your plans for life? (Sorry Muslims, you come up rather short on that one, besides a last big-bang.)
The correct answer, I think, is exactly what President Bush recently put forward in an ad: The Ownership Society.
This one is easy. Compare crime rates between housing areas to apartment areas. Thinking through that, I feel that once someone owns "a piece of the pie", they are much more likely to become a patriot of the host country.
If an individual fails to become a patriot of the host country? Please reread this rant... THEN.. If they remain Enemy of the State? Deportation... Or, another 'D' word.
The Muslims in France were forcing the French children who were not Muslim to wear the head scarves too. They beat some up and If I remember right may have even killed.
Leave the Sikhs alone. They have endured tremendous persecution by the Muslims and Hindus--hence the obligation for Sikh men to carry a knife--and if they want to wear their traditional dress neither you nor French secularist nor any other western rationalist arbiter of "reality" has any right to object.
It's not any one garb I object to. This country is in big trouble unless these people assimilate. As is France.
You can't let one group wear their outfits and ban others. I never paid much attention before, but where I live, the cities are getting full of people wearing this.
I don't consider them religious, rather these are political in nature, with issues of power and control. I can't imagine the Almighty gives a hoot what anyone wears.
Doesn't look anything like a fair fight.
So make the Sikhs fight with one hand behind their backs.
You don't know what you're talking about here.. Sikhs are wonderful people with a rich history and some of the best Americans around...get a clue before you speak.
I happen to like the Sikhs, but if you France is 100% correct here.
Sooner or later, in a post 9/11 world, the Sikhs are going to have to come to the realization that their getups are very hostile and aggresive looking.
I'm sure they are fine people or whatever. There were lots of fine people in Nazi Germany.
Their "getup" as you call it is neither "hostile" nor "aggressive looking" as you call it.. just because you are too ignorant to tell the difference between muslim and sikh doesn't give you the right to lump them all together.. the Amish have headcoverings too.. wanna kill them?
Yeah, only subhuman imbeciles wear turbans!
/end sarcasm
Grow up.
Any more I come to realize why some individuals tend to put "Ignorant" and "Republican" together. It's just a matter of needing to put the muzzle on a few select people...
Not the taking of hostages over it. Which is even more insane.
But still given that statement, it's ironic that you do.
Never met a Sikh or Ghurka I didn't like and respect. Good warriors, in the best meaning of the term.
Both the doctors (a husband and wife team) who delivered my children are Sikh.. I've known them for over 20 years now, and respect and trust them greatly.
I also had a Muslim female dentist once... she did a root canal on me without anesthetic... I tried to tell her it hadn't kicked in yet.. she told me I wasn't feeling pain, it was something else, and continued despite my protests.
There are times when I think Sikhs and Ghurkas are humanity at its finest.
Ask a Sikh or Ghurka to watch your family interests as you go into a fight. He'll pass it off to the oldest member of the clan, then he and all the younger members will fight by your side to the death.
I'd like to send a team of them to Russia right now to deal with their terrorist problem.
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