The French Veil-Ban, Forced Equality, and Pollsters

Let's ban winter scarfs and Halloween masks! They oppress those who choose to wear them! They help criminals escape! Besides, a majority of people polled are in favor!
by Dan Alba
(libertarian)
Monday, July 12, 2010

The [face veil] is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement ... It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic. -French president, Nick Sarkozy

The French public overwhelmingly endorses this measure; 82% approve of a ban on Muslim women wearing full veils in public. -Pew Research

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A band of legal plunderers calling themselves the French parliament is soon to enact a law prohibiting the wearing of face veils in public. The supposed intentions are to liberate women, promote equality, and bolster security. In non-Orwellian reality, the ban will imprison certain women inside their homes, denying them the liberty of choosing to dress modestly in public.

But it gets better.

The legislation especially targets the husbands and fathers of veil-wearers, as The Associated Press reports: "Anyone convicted of forcing someone else to wear the garb risks a year of prison and a euro30,000 ($38,000) fine — with both those penalties doubled if the victim is a minor."

In other words, for young veil-wearing girls in France, "liberty" and "equality" will mean going fatherless for at least two years — in addition to the household's being $76,000 poorer and, in most cases, without a primary source of income.

Ah, the beauty of centrally enforced "equality."

Contrary to the alleged "liberating" intentions of the ban, the New York Times points out that "fewer than 2,000 women in France wear a version of the full veil, and many of them are French women who have converted to Islam," and that "many women who wear the veil insist that they are doing it as a free choice and see a ban as a restriction of their liberty."

And though the ban is criticized by France's highest judicial authority on constitutional grounds, it would be far from unprecedented, as the same Times report reminds us: "In 2004, France banned the wearing of head scarves in public schools, but at the same time banned all signs of religious affiliation, so the law did not legally at least single out Muslims, as a ban on the full veil would seem to do."

But don't tell the "pollsters," whose handiwork exists to provide democratic legitimacy to central tyranny. The folks at Pew Research apparently based their current survey on the false notion that the new ban will merely cover public places "including schools, hospitals, and government offices." This is the same "research" entity that conducted a poll based on the false neocon assertion that the Iranian regime is developing nuclear weapons.

Congressman Ron Paul said it best:

If the majority has not yet sanctioned some desired egregious action demanded by special interests, the propaganda machine goes into operation, and the pollsters relay the results back to the politicians who are seeking legitimacy in their endeavors. The rule of law and the Constitution have become irrelevant, and we live by constant polls.

This trend toward authoritarian democracy was tolerated because, unlike a military dictatorship, it was done in the name of benevolence, fairness, and equity.

Perhaps the folks at Pew were disappointed to find the otherwise relatively assuring news in all this:

In contrast, most Americans would oppose such a measure; 65% say they would disapprove of a ban on Muslim women wearing full veils in public places compared with 28% who say they would approve.

Looks like those "pollsters" have their work cut out for them.

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The views expressed in this article are those of Dan Alba only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Dan Alba is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.

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