Posted on 09/13/2004 9:35:58 AM PDT by knighthawk
PARIS, Sept 13 (AFP) - A Muslim policewoman in Paris has annoyed her superiors and stoked a national debate in France over Islamic headscarves after refusing to take off her own head covering on religious grounds, a police union said Monday.
The woman, a traffic officer identified only as Nora C., refused an order given August 25 to take off a small headscarf that she wears under her uniform cap, the union said, confirming a report in a news magazine, L'Express.
She reiterated her stance the next day when she met another superior officer, whose hand she declined to shake, the union, Synergie, said.
The union added that the woman, who is divorced with two children, was currently off work on medical leave.
The incident focused attention back on a controversial new law in France banning Islamic headscarves and other religious insignia in state schools in a bid to uphold the country's strict secularity.
Muslim groups in particular have protested against the measure, claiming it infringes upon their religious traditions.
It was not clear whether the policewoman was breaching uniform rules by insisting on keeping her headscarf, but the Synergie union asserted that her act was "unacceptable on principle" and threw "the neutrality of the state into question".
Paris's 2,000 traffic officers wear a distinctive blue-and-white uniform topped with a yellow and blue cap.
Ping
Nora C. was qouted as saying "I'm so angry I could just explode".
She's been reassigned to Chief Inspecteur Dreyfuss.
There was a case in New York, involving a Sikh cop who wanted to wear his turban instead of the police hat. He claimed religious discrimination.
I think he was nixed.
I'd like to see a story about a nudist policewoman who refuses to wear a shirt.
"Muslim groups in particular have protested against the measure, claiming it infringes upon their religious traditions. "
They know how to leave France.
And if she arrested me...
Cop: "Anything you say can be held against you..."
GunnyG: "T*TS, T*TS, T*TS, T*TS
You are le fired!
Stone Her
NOW if you want to be a uniformed police officer AND exercise such freedom, you may find that your employer has a certain degree of freedom in who is allowed to be a uniformed police officer. But rest easy -- you will always have total control over what you put on your head (and that's what you value most, right?)
Boy, pinning her badge on would be painful!
---my suggestion to France for the headscarf problem is to offer the wearer a choice---remove the headscarf or have the heads of all of her identifiable male relatives removed. This would begin to solve one of Europe's most pressing social problems---
Actually, I think he filed suit and has been reinstated, along with this turban.
Wouldn't she still have to wear the badge? :)
A KKK outfit, or a Nazi outfit would be banned. The Muslim getups are far more political than religious in nature.
Tattoo the badge on. . . (g)
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