The French being French

The French have rejected a citizenship application from a Muslim woman:

France has denied citizenship to a Moroccan woman who wears a burqa on the grounds that her “radical” practice of Islam is incompatible with basic French values such as equality of the sexes.

The case yesterday reopened the debate about Islam in France, and how the secular republic reconciles itself with the freedom of religion guaranteed by the French constitution.

I doubt we will be seeing that happening this side of the channel. Clearly these folk are in need of some diversity training…

Seriously, though, I’m inclined to agree with them. If you want to live in France, you adopt the French ways. There is nothing in the secular state that prevents people from practising their religion; I see plenty of women walking around in hijabs in the Arab quarter in Lodève and no one, so far as I am aware, is trying to stop people practising Islam. However, if you want to become a citizen, then it is reasonable for the applicant to make an effort to adopt French ways. And, frankly, the more radical Islamic approach; the subjugation of women; is in direct conflict with modern western ideals. We should challenge it. The French are right to do so.

Apparently this case was an appeal from an earlier rejection of her application:

The legal expert who reported to the Council of State said the woman’s interviews with social services revealed that “she lives almost as a recluse, isolated from French society”.

The report said: “She has no idea about the secular state or the right to vote. She lives in total submission to her male relatives. She seems to find this normal and the idea of challenging it has never crossed her mind.”

Yup, I’d say that was not assimilating. There’s more to assimilation than merely speaking the language. It seems the French aren’t about to go in for this multicultural malarky anytime soon.