(Untitled)

[shutupbetsy]

Sometimes I forget why the French are annoying. As Eddie Izzard says, "they're fine, but they are sort of fucking French, aren't they?"

First the sanctity of your precious language, now the further semiotic terrorism of limiting women's aesthetic freedom, let alone religious beliefs? Bully for you.
Hijab to be banned in French Schools

Comments

[notmarcie]

Grrr, it irritates me too. It also means that Jewish boys cannot wear skull caps and Catholics may not wear visible crucifixes. France states that religion and politics are seperate but cannot seem to see that this is the state interfering with religious beliefs.

I'm not sure how to respond...

[wisdom_seeker]

I'm of French decent. Every time I see something written like this or hear something said like this, I cringe. Yes, their language is precious to them, because it is an integral part of their culture. When language is lost to new generations, so is their connection to their ancestors. I cannot read the writings of my grandparents because they are in French and I do not understand the language well enough. Language is central to culture; preventing people from speaking their native tongue is a frequently-used political tool to keep minorities in check. France is not the only country to try to protect its language. We do it in America, too, every time a school board decides that immigrant children have to take classes in American English and in the requirement that persons applying for naturalization be able to speak English proficiently

Re: I'm not sure how to respond...

[shutupbetsy]

I have a problem with a former colonial nation that seeks to protect its culture and language from interlopers. What a shame that Vietnam, Senegal, Haiti, and other former French colonies didn't have the politcal prowess to do the same. Also, as I said, I believe that the hijab issue is a feminist one, relating to the regulation of women's bodies in public space.
Yes, there is a lot more too it than that, but I still find it annoying, hypocritical and I wasn't writing an essay, just providing a link of interest.