Yasmin Alibhai-Brown demonstrates the stopped clock phenomenon. I have not experienced the “cultural supremacy and arrogance and hateful attitudes towards Muslims” she claims exists in France – indeed, my experience in France was no different to what I’ve experienced in the UK; people rub along okay. Although, I don’t doubt that those attitudes do exist. Nor, for that matter did I encounter:
It keeps most incomers and their children within deprived banlieues, out of sight and mind and criminalised.
This is pure hyperbole. I saw plenty of middle eastern types milling about in Lodéve, mingling with everyone else.
However, I agree with YAB when she says that the burqa ban is wrong (although she hints at some sort of state intervention). I’m comfortable with the French ban on overt religious symbols on government property – in schools and suchlike – as property rights apply and school is no place for flouting one’s religious beliefs, it is a place of learning. However, outside of that, clothing bans are plain wrong. In this, we agree, I think.
YAB then goes on to give a list of reasons why the burqa is abhorrent. I have to say, I agree entirely. But, then, maybe I am a grisly right-winger:
My self-declared new best friends this week will be grisly right-wingers and repellent fascists, and some old best friends will be so angry that things may never again be the same between us.
Oh, well, can’t have it all.
Are you a right-winger or a libertarian? Sometimes they’re not the same. 🙂
Strictly speaking, I’m a classical liberal.
Amongst the generation of Le Pen, there is, I have experienced, quite an emnity towards Algerians, if not North Africans in general, although I don’t know how widespread that is.