A Montreal-based group that would like to see fewer religious symbols in Quebec is calling on the provincial government to draw up a new "social contract" making the province secular and banning religious garb for anyone working in the public sector.

They don't want people wearing hijabs, kippahs, crosses or other religious items on the job and think buttons and pins that show political leanings should be banned, too.

"To maintain the neutrality of the state we must remove all religious symbols," said Marie-Michelle Poisson, president of the MLQ.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/more+religious+symbols+group+urges/1617902/story.html

«Les immigrants ne sont pas plus religieux que la moyenne des Québécois, disons, de souche», prétend Mme Poisson, du MLQ.

Ces femmes se rangent derrière la position du Conseil du statut de la femme, qui suggère au gouvernement Charest d'interdire le port de tout signe religieux ostentatoire dans la fonction publique, ce que stipulerait une éventuelle «Charte de la laïcité». 

Barak Obama, pur essendo un eccellente difensore dei diritti delle donne negli Stati Uniti, ha quasi completamente dimenticato la tematica nel suo recente discorso al mondo islamico.

Riporto la parte del discorso che riguarda la condizione femminile:

 "I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Now let me be clear: issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia, we have seen Muslim majority countries elect a woman to lead. Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.

Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity � men and women � to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams."

Riporto alcuni commenti che in massima parte condivido:

First of all, Obama's discourse is addressed to 'Islam', as if an idea, a concept, a belief, could hear him; as if those were not necessarily mediated by the people who hold these views, ideas, concepts or beliefs. As Soheib Bencheikh, former Great Mufti of Marseilles and now Director of the Institute of High Islamic Studies in Marseilles, used to say: “I have never seen a Qur'an walking in the street...”

Can we imagine for one minute that Obama would address himself to '’Christianity' or to 'Buddhism'? No, he would talk to Christians or Buddhists – to real people, keeping in mind all their differences.

Obama is essentialising Islam, ignoring the large differences that exist among Muslim believers themselves, in terms of religious schools of thought and interpretations, cultural differences and political opinions. These differences indeed make it totally irrelevant to speak about 'Islam' in such a totalizing way. Obama would not dare essentialise, for instance, Christianity in such a way, ignoring the huge gap between Opus Dei and liberation theology...

In this religious strait-jacket, women's rights are limited to their right to education, and Obama distances himself from arrogant westerners by making it clear that women covering is not seen by him as an obstacle to their emancipation – especially if it is 'their choice'... Meanwhile, Iran is next door, with its morality police that jail women whose hair slips out of the aforementioned covering, in the name of religious laws. And what about Afghanistan or Algeria where women were abducted, tortured, raped, mutilated, burnt alive, killed for not covering***?

At no point does he raise the issue of who defines culture, who defines religion, who speaks for 'the Muslims' – and why they could not be defined by individual women themselves, without clerics, without morality police, without self-appointed, old, conservative, male, religious leaders – if their fundamental human rights were to be respected. Obviously, Obama trades women's human rights for political and economic alliances with 'Islam'... 'Islam' definitely owns oil, among other things.

http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-564633

At one stage when Obama made reference to Bang-ladesh and Indonesia and Turkey, my heart fluttered in anticipation. Yes, I thought. He is now going to make the argument directly to the men who rule the Arab world with an iron fist. Talking about women’s rights, Obama said: “In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia, we have seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead.”

Bravo, I thought. I hoped his next sentence would say: Now is the time for Arab countries to take a lead from their non-Arab co-religionists and learn how to bring women to the forefront of politics and leadership.

But he didn’t.

Instead his next line was almost an apology for why the Arab world is so hostile to women’s equality. Obama said, “Meanwhile, the struggle for women’s equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.”

To me he sounded as if he was saying to the kings and generals: Do not despair, we Americans too are not without blame as far as women’s rights are concerned.

Of course America has miles to go before it rests, but to even hint of a parallel between the challenges facing women in America and the appalling condition of women in the Arab world is downright dangerous and only feeds the mullahs who will say, “Look, even America discriminates against women — Obama said it.”

 http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/Obama+misses+tear+down+this+wall+moment/1663349/story.html

En attaquant la laïcité et en défendant le port du voile, le Président des Etats-Unis, dans son discours au Caire, a mis à mal le combat de millions de femmes qui paient de leur vie tous les jours pour sortir de la violence des fondamentalistes. Le président Obama nous réduit ainsi toutes au silence.

"Le droit des femmes n'est pas une affaire de centimètres de tissu, mais la burka est le symbole de l'oppression que subissent les femmes, il faut encourager le débat sur cette question", a-t-elle déclaré mercredi à l'AFP.
"Il ne faut pas avoir peur d'en parler, il faut rendre visible la réalité et la dégradation de la condition des femmes (...). Nous allons faire notre travail de lutte contre les fondamentalistes", a-t-elle ajouté.

http://www.lepoint.fr/actualites-societe/2009-06-17/voile-integral-en-france-ni-putes-ni-soumises-veut-un-debat/920/0/353318

http://www.andregerin.com/index02.html

La vision de ces femmes emprisonnées nous est déjà intolérable lorsqu'elle nous vient d'Iran, d'Afghanistan, d'Arabie Saoudite... Elle est totalement inacceptable sur le sol de la République française", considère André Gerin.
Outre André Gerin, le texte est notamment signé par Christian Bataille (PS), Patrick Beaudoin (UMP), Alain Benisti (UMP), Véronique Besse (NI, MPF), Jacques Desalangre (PCF), Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (NI), Jean-Pierre Kudeicha (PS), Pierre Lellouche (UMP), Maurice Leroy (NC), Lionnel Luca (UMP), Thierry Mariani (UMP), Jacques Myard (UMP).

Pour sa part, le recteur de la mosquée de Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, explique au nouvelobs.com que "la burqa n'est en rien une prescription religieuse de l'Islam. Cette tradition est bien antérieure au Coran et provient d'une coutume locale d'Afghanistan. En quelque sorte, la burqa est "une vision talibanesque de l'Islam". Reste qu'elle "tend à un phénomène extensif, par mimétisme de ces peuples qui 'luttent' contre les Américains".

http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualites/politique/20090617.OBS0960/port_de_la_burka__des_deputes_reclament_un_debat.html

The Muslim Canadian Congress (MCC) applauds French president Nicholas Sarkozy for his clarity in condemning the burka as a tool of oppression against Muslim women. 

"If the burka was a matter of choice, then why is it that I do not see a single Muslim man wearing this black tent of shame," said Sohail Raza.

Ovviamente le donne musulmane possono e devono far parte dell'esercito danese. Indossando la stessa identica divisa delle loro colleghe. Un pò di sano buon senso dalla Danimarca.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to show the same flexibility in this area for people employed by the armed forces or in military service as is the case for their civilian colleagues,’ Gade stated in his written response.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/national/88-national/46425-minister-no-headscarves-in-military.html

In a recent speech, French President Nicolas Sarkozy stated that the burqa [1] is a sign of subjugation of women, and as such is "not welcome in France." His statements evoked sympathetic reactions from columnists in the Saudi and Egyptian press. Female Saudi columnists stated that the Islamists had turned women's traditional coverings into a political symbol, and that terrorists used them in terror attacks, while an Egyptian columnist said that covering women in this way signified subjugation, and thus these garments were not wanted in countries where women are respected.

"Some Muslim women in Europe wear the hijab against their will, due to the piety of their families who identify with or belong to one of the Islamic political movements. Others wear it out of religious conviction... or out of political conviction, aimed at making the burqa or niqab into a political symbol, not a religious symbol. By so doing, [these women's families] confront European racism and strengthen their affiliation with Islam, or identify with the Islamic movements... Everyone knows that women are the trump card of these movements, which exploit the [women's] emotions and their weaknesses... while using the democracy and freedoms in the Western countries to attain their political goals. 

n her column in the Saudi daily Al-Watan, Saudi columnist Layla Ahmad Al-Ahdab stated that women's coverings should be banned in Europe, because terrorists conceal themselves in them when they carry out terror attacks.

"Sarkozy was right when he said that the niqab is not welcome on French soil, because it is not a religious symbol but a symbol of subjugation. I add my voice to his, and I agree with him, perhaps for the first time. The niqab is indeed not welcome in France, just as it is not welcome in any country that respects women.

http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP246909

Les agents masculins de la police belge sont à nouveau autorisés à contrôler les femmes portant la burqa. Une note de service prévoyant que ces contrôles soient effectués uniquement par des agents féminins a été abrogée.

http://www.romandie.com/infos/ats/display2.asp?page=20090803200001220172019048000_brf044.xml

Lundi, le quotidien bruxellois Le Soir s’était lui aussi élevé contre cette note de service. Cela “relève de l’absurde et d’un renoncement indigne de nos services publics face aux ennemis de la démocratie… et des femmes. Ainsi donc, des missions ordinaires de sécurité de la police devraient être calibrées” en fonction de préceptes religieux “d’un autre âge”, s’indignait le journal francophone dans un “billet d’humeur”.

http://www.islam-pluriel.net/2009/08/belgique-les-policiers-peuvent-a-nouveau-controler-les-porteuses-de-burqa/

La burqa ne représente pas simplement un morceau de tissu mais la manipulation politique d'une religion qui réduit les femmes à l'esclavage et va à l'encontre du principe d'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes",

La vaste majorité des musulmans sont contre la burqa", ajoute-t-elle, car "ceux qui ont participé à la lutte pour les droits de la femme chez eux, je pense en particulier à l'Algérie, savent ce que ça représente et quel projet d'obscurantisme politique ça dissimule, visant à étouffer les libertés les plus fondamentales", poursuit la secrétaire d'Etat, elle-même d'origine algérienne.

Selon une estimation des services de renseignement récemment évoquée par le quotidien Le Monde, seules 367 femmes porteraient la burqa dans le pays. La plupart d'entre elles ont moins de 30 ans et un quart sont des converties à la religion musulmane. Elles porteraient ce vêtement dans une "démarche provocatrice." Un rapport sur l'étendue du phénomène doit être rendu par une mission d'information parlementaire en janvier 2010.

Un'interessante presa di posizione contro il burqa che, al contempo, condanna anche la politica multiculturalista.

The discussion is relevant, since the fundamental purpose of the burka is to oppress women. The burka is intended as a means to hide women and protect them from contact with strangers, particularly men. That kind of thinking goes completely against the way we in Denmark have organised our society.

This is why it is important to underscore that Muslim girls who live in Denmark are Danish girls, and they should have the same right to make their own decisions as anyone else their age.

In my opinion, we have for years avoided ‘meddling’ with the upbringing of young Muslims.

Young Muslims should have access to the same counsellors as other young people, and precisely the same norms as them, because they need to be able to make their own decisions about how to live their lives.

Confronted with the statement by the newspaper that the 'progressive' GroenLinks does not campaign against orthodox Islam, Halsema reacted dismissively. "We do (criticise it). I am one of the few that criticises Saudi Arabia, along with (Geert) Wilders, for the violation of women's rights. I will always campaign fiercely against any suspected introduction of the Sharia."

At the time she characterised "fundamental Muslims, fundamental American Christians and the Roman Catholic Church" as "an axis of religious evil," because they oppress women. "That is my most famous attack. I got in a lot a trouble."

http://www.nisnews.nl/public/7.htm

Le 11 septembre dernier, les divers réseaux scolaires d’Anvers, y compris le secteur confessionnel catholique, ont décidé, après concertation entre eux, d’interdire le voile islamique dans leurs 300 établissements à la rentrée 2010.

Le Conseil supervisant les écoles publiques de langue néerlandaise financées par le ministère flamand de l’Education a adopté le même jour une position identique pour toute la région de Flandre, avec application progressive dès cette année à ses 700 établissements.

De même que le Conseil d’Etat, la plus haute instance administrative en Belgique, a jugé mardi irrecevable pour des raisons techniques la plainte d’une élève contre le nouveau règlement d’un des deux lycées prohibant le voile. Ces élèves ont été définitivement exclues par leurs établissements.

http://www.gaucherepublicaine.org/combat-feministe/belgique-1-000-ecoles-publiques-ou-privees-ont-decide-d%E2%80%99interdire-le-hidjab/677

The Muslim Canadian Congress (MCC) is asking Ottawa to introduce legislation to ban the wearing of masks, niqabs and the burka in public.

Farzana Hassan, communications director of the MCC said, "Islamists are defending the burka as if it was the central pillar of Islam. They consider Muslim women who do not cover their heads and faces--the vast majority -- as sinners or lesser Muslims.

"It is of utmots impritance that the Canadian government take the lead and end this medieval misogynist practise once and for all," Ms. Hassan added.

The MCC statement regretted that while the rest of the world is moving toward the goal of gender equality, right here in Canada Islamists are pushing back the clock, convincing educated Muslim women, they are no more than sexual objects and a source of sin, if they reveal their faces in public.

Several hundred joined a rally in London’s Hyde Park organised by One Law for All to show their opposition to Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and to demand universal rights and secularism.

The rally heard from people with direct experiences of Sharia law, including Iranian-born activist Sohaila Sharifi and Somali-born secularist Ismail Einashe. Einashe spoke of his cousin who had been forced to remain in a violent marriage by the sham courts here in Britain.

One Law for All will continue to push for an end to Sharia and religious laws in Britain. In the coming year, the campaign aims to conduct a survey of women who have been to Sharia courts here, will hold a fundraiser dinner on January 28, 2010 to raise money for the campaign; will host a March 8, 2010 seminar with legislators, lawyers and campaigners to recommend the legal and legislative avenues to ban Sharia and religious courts in Britain; will organise a June 20, 2010 rally against Sharia law; and will hold an October 10, 2010 conference on Sharia Law and Apostasy amongst other activities.

http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/successful-rally-against-sharia-law-in-uk-21-nov-2009/

One Law for All Campaign is pleased to announce the winners of 2009’s art competition, Passion for Freedom,
which was organised to promote universal and equal rights and expose the discriminatory nature of religious laws.

For the images of the artworks please visit the link below.I urge you to support these artists.

http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/art-competition-winners/

Même si les spécialistes religieux s’accordent à reconnaître que le port du voile intégral ne fait l’objet d’aucune recommandation coranique, il n’appartient pas au politique de piocher dans leur argumentaire pour justifier son positionnement. S’approprier ce référentiel serait une faute pure et simple de jugement. Puisque la France est une société laïque séparant l’Etat du religieux, c’est bien au cœur de la sphère publique qu’il nous faut façonner notre jugement.

La burqa est aussi une atteinte à la dignité humaine. Elle concerne tout individu dans la mesure où elle place la femme à un rang de subalterne. Car une femme dont on ne peut lire les expressions du visage perd de son humanité. Car une femme qui se voit interdire le port de certains vêtements perd, aussi, de sa liberté. L’homme n’étant pas concerné par le port de la burqa, celle qui la porte est reléguée d’emblée à son seul et unique statut de femme sans que l’on puisse lire, sur son visage ou son corps, d’autres caractéristiques de son individualité. La République française, qui porte en son sein l’égalité homme-femme, ne peut l’accepter.

Trovo molto interessante che lo stesso imam coraggioso che prende posizione contro il burqa sia, al contempo, fautore di dialogo ed amicizia con la comunità ebraica. Sono entrambe atteggiamenti di grande apertura mentale.

Hassen Chalghoumi, whose mosque stands in a northern Paris suburb where many Muslims live, said women who wanted to cover their faces should move to Saudi Arabia or other Muslim countries where that was a tradition.

"Yes, I am for a legal ban of the burqa, which has no place in France, a country where women have been voting since 1945," Hassen Chalghoumi, 36, told the daily Le Parisien.

Chalghoumi, who has received death threats for his promotion of dialogue with Jews, said that full face veils had no basis in Islam and "belong to a tiny minority tradition reflecting an ideology that scuttles the Muslim religion."

"The burqa is a prison for women, a tool of sexist domination and Islamist indoctrination," said Chalghoumi, whose mosque stands in Drancy, site of a wartime camp where Jews were detained before transport to Nazi concentration camps.

"Having French nationality means wanting to take part in society, at school, at work," he said.

"But with a bit of cloth over their faces, what can these women share with us? If they want to wear the veil, they can go to a country where it's the tradition, like Saudi Arabia."

Ci sono ovviamente alcune lodevoli eccezioni in seno al Parti socialiste come Aurélie Filippetti.

Parce que le Parti Socialiste a déclaré vendredi qu’il ne voterait pas les propositions de la Mission Parlementaire sur le port du voile intégral, nous avons protesté ce matin devant le siège du Parti, rue Solférino, pour demander une clarification de leur position et le soutien à la mission parlementaire.

Nous sommes venues dire au deuxième Parti de France et à toutes les forces progressistes de ne pas abandonner les femmes face à la violence et aux forces obscurantistes

Le Parti Socialiste ne peut participer pendant plusieurs mois à cette mission d’information et esquiver toutes prises de décisions. Etre contre la burqa c’est avoir le courage politique d’agir, c’est avoir une position claire !

Di seguito la reazione della Filippetti:

La burqa n’est pas un phénomène religieux, ce n’est pas une prescription de l’islam. C’est une dérive sectaire et une insulte à la dignité de la personne humaine à travers l’humiliation de la femme. Les musulmans et les musulmanes ne veulent pas être assimilées à celles qui portent la burqa ou à ceux qui les obligent à les porter, et l’ensemble de la collectivité nationale ne veut pas voir de burqa dans ses rues.

 Moi je suis claire : la burqa n’a pas sa place dans notre République. Je suis donc favorable à une loi l’interdisant sur l’ensemble de notre territoire, y compris sur la voie publique. C’est une atteinte insupportable à la dignité de la femme et de tous ceux qui sont amenés à croiser des individus ainsi dissimulés dans cette prison de tissu.

 Par ailleurs, nous continuerons ces interpellations en direction de toutes les forces progressistes du pays, demandons aujourd’hui au Parti Socialiste d’écouter le courage d’Aurélie Filippetti et de soutenir le rapport de la mission parlementaire auquel ils ont participé pendant 6 mois!

E' interessante che sia proprio una donna di origini turche a lanciare il dibattito.

“The burka is a full-body prison that deeply threatens human rights,”she told daily Frankfurter Rundschau. “It would be an important signal for Germany to ban the burka.”

A burka ban in German should include schools, universities, and high-security zones such as banks and airports, she said. 

Meanwhile the Free Democrats' integration expert Hartfrid Wolff called the burka a particular form of discrimination that courts should not tolerate. 

http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20100128-24873.html

Immigrants should sign a 'no burka' contract before being allowed to live in France, the country's families minister has said.

It would be added to an 'integration agreement' that all newcomers already have to commit to, which also bans forced marriages and polygamy.

Nadine Morano said: 'Equality between men and women is a fundamental principle of French society.

'This applies to polygamy, forced marriages, female mutilation and the full-face veil.'

Ricevo da Maryam Namazie e riporto alla vostra attenzione le ultime manifestazioni dei laici, dissidenti politici e femministe iraniane.

The following news is coming from Maryam Namazie:

La tolérance consiste à négocier à la pièce avec chaque groupe. Exactement comme le fait la Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec avec ces religieux qui réclament de ne pas être servis par une femme. Elle consiste plus précisément à négocier avec les «communautés», du moins celles qui sont suffisamment fortes pour se faire entendre.

La semaine dernière, les ministres canadiens Lawrence Cannon, Jason Kenney et le chef de l'opposition Michael Ignatieff nous ont offert un portrait assez révélateur. Interrogés par Le Devoir à propos du débat français sur la burqa, ils ont aussitôt invoqué, comme un réflexe, la tolérance et la liberté. Pas le moindre mot sur la laïcité ou pour faire remarquer que la burqa est une pratique pour le moins rétrograde. Pas question de froisser les communautés auxquelles l'État canadien semble avoir sous-traité ses prérogatives. Les femmes, à qui l'on impose ce voile intégral, sont renvoyées à leur communauté. L'État n'en a rien à faire!

 On ne m'en voudra pas de conclure en citant un homme qui a réfléchi à la question. «La tolérance n'est pas la laïcité, écrit le directeur du Nouvel Observateur, Jean Daniel. La première est passive, la seconde active. La tolérance s'accommode de toutes les manifestations publiques des religions. La laïcité défend l'individu contre son groupe d'origine, la femme contre le père oppresseur et garantit que l'on peut changer de religion ou se déclarer athée. Avec la tolérance, on installe des communautés. Avec la laïcité, on construit une nation.»

http://m.ledevoir.com/societe/ethique-et-religion/282943/tolerance-ou-laicite

"From now on, for a woman who is veiled with a niqab or a burka and comes to our office asking to be photographed by a woman, the answer is no," said Marc Lortie, spokesman for the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec. "Line up again, or come back another day."

 "If you want to integrate into Quebec society, here are our values," Immigration Minister Yolande James told reporters last week. "We want to see your face."

 After the health-insurance board sought its expertise on the niqab issue, the rights commission published its opinion on Monday that requiring a veiled woman to briefly expose her face to a male employee is not a significant breach of her rights.

Moi, qui suis issue d’un pays où l’intégrisme islamique gagne du terrain avec comme corollaire la prolifération du port du voile, où les avancées législatives en matière de droits des femmes se heurtent aux pressions des autorités musulmanes, au nom de la paix sociale, de l’unité nationale, de la préservation des valeurs sociales et religieuses maliennes qui confinent les femmes dans des statuts de citoyennes de seconde zone,

Moi qui, comme tant de consœurs, ai eu la chance de m’épanouir et me réaliser en Belgique dans un espace de liberté que les femmes ont conquis par de longues et âpres luttes,

Je déclare que l’émancipation n’est pas un luxe réservé aux femmes occidentales, que l’égalité hommes/femmes n’est pas négociable, ajustable, en fonction des demandes, revendications de revendications culturelles, religieuses ou supposées comme telles émanant d’individus, de communautés, de groupes.

Peut-on, au nom de la tolérance, du relativisme culturel, du multiculturalisme, de la liberté de religion, demander à certaines femmes vivant dans nos pays d’avoir moins de droits ?

Je déclare qu’en Europe, les offensives des islamistes contre les droits des femmes renforcent celles des partis conservateurs, de l’Eglise catholique, des lobbies religieux très puissamment implantés dans les nouveaux Etats membres et qui s’emploient à faire reculer les droits des femmes au sein de l’Union européenne. Leur mot d’ordre : revenir à l’ordre archaïque de hiérarchie patriarcale qui renvoie les femmes aux devoirs que leur dicte leur nature, à leurs sacro-saintes obligations terrestres dictées par les hommes assistés par Dieu le père, le fils et les Saints Esprits sexistes. Pas d’amen ! C’est là que la société doit intervenir au nom des droits humains !

Je déclare que les conquêtes féministes en Occident n’ont pas été arrêtées dans leur marche pour l’émancipation par la peur de stigmatiser les Eglises opposées aux droits et aux libertés des femmes. Pourquoi l’islam serait-il soustrait à cette remise en question ? Ce qui est bon pour une religion ne le serait donc pas pour une autre ?

http://www.lesoir.be/forum/cartes_blanches/2010-03-23/je-declare-que-le-voile-est-le-symbole-d-un-projet-politique-totalitaire-760276.shtml

Al momento la legge proposta proibisce alle donne che indossano il burqa ed il niqab di accedere ai servizi amministrativi e sociali del governo. Un primo passo.

A bill tabled Wednesday will not allow government services to women wearing the niqab.

The government last week ordered that every niqab-clad woman must uncover her face to confirm her identity when applying for her medicare card. Wednesday's bill will be the first such step in North America to curtail any religious dress.

According to the bill, women seeking medical and auto insurance services will have to remove their veil, adding that face coverings will not be tolerated in people's dealings with government officials.

Speaking to the media, Quebec premier (equal to chief minister in India) Jean Charest said the step was needed for maintaining gender equality and secular character of public institutions. 

Le Premier ministre a appelé une loi qui aille "le plus loin possible sur la voie de l'interdiction générale" du voile intégral, dans un discours lundi devant les parlementaires UMP.

http://fr.news.yahoo.com/63/20100330/tpl-burqa-franois-fillon-veut-aller-le-p-5cc6428.html

Le ministre de l'Intérieur Brice Hortefeux a indiqué mardi, lors de la séance de questions au gouvernement à l'Assemblée nationale, qu'il fallait "aller le plus loin possible" vers l'interdiction du voile intégral en France.
"Nous sommes déterminés à aller le plus loin possible sur la voie de l'interdiction générale du voile intégral, dans le respect des principes généraux du droit", a affirmé Brice Hortefeux en répondant à Marie-Louise Fort (UMP, Yonne) et Nicolas Perruchot (NC, Loir-et-Cher).
Le gouvernement "présentera un projet de loi aussi volontariste que possible", a poursuivi le ministre de l'Intérieur, après avoir rappelé les limites soulignées dans le rapport que le Conseil d'Etat a remis au Premier ministre.
"Nous devons aller le plus loin possible, car nous ne voulons plus que demain des femmes entièrement voilées aillent chercher leurs enfants à l'école, se présentent aux guichets des services publics ou prennent les transports en commun", a assuré Brice Hortefeux.
"Le port du voile intégral est une expression radicale et du communautarisme et la République ne peut pas accepter ni le radicalisme ni le repli communautaire", a relevé le ministre.
Pour lui, "c'est tout simplement une question de dignité, d'égalité, de sécurité", a-t-il ajouté.

"Je vous proposerai d'aller le plus loin possible sur la voie d'une interdiction générale du voile intégral dans le respect des principes généraux du droit", a-t-il indiqué. Le chef du gouvernement a assuré que la proposition de résolution déposée sur le même sujet par le groupe UMP à l'Assemblée nationale "recueille le soutien du gouvernement". La proposition de résolution est un texte non contraignant visant à réaffirmer des principes généraux.

http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualite/politique/20100330.OBS1411/voile-le-conseil-d-etat-rejette-l-interdiction-generale-et-absolue.html

Continuo a stupirmi di quanto scarso peso i miei colleghi stiano dando alla questione. Non mi sono chiari i criteri in vase ai quali una notizia è degna di pubblicazione e un'altra no specie laddove l'argomento è la trasparenza, l'universalità e la coerenza in tema di diritti umani e di diritti delle donne. Nel mio piccolo intendo dare visibilità alla questione.

the Secretary General of Amnesty International makes a shocking and incredible claim that "Defensive Jihad not antithetical to Human Rights". If this is the official position of the world’s leading human rights organisation, this would gravely undermine the future of the human rights movment. The rationale and call for ‘defensive jihad’ runs through many muslim fundamentalist texts. It is precisely ‘defensive jihad’ that the Taleban use to legitimise its anti human rights actions such as the beheading of dissidents, attacks on minorities, attacks on schools and religious shrines and the public lashing of women.

We are revealing and making public (see attached documents) the full text of the letter received from secretary General of Amnesty international in response to the ’Global Petition to Amnesty International: Restoring the Integrity of Human Rights’ and also the Response sent by Initiators of Global Petition

The highlights of the response sent to Amnesty International by Initiators of Global Petition are:

• Endorsement of the concept of ‘defensive jihad’ by an organization such as Amnesty International calls into question its commitment to research the ideological underpinnings of acts of terrorism and its commitment to the eradication of discrimination on the basis of sex/gender and religion.

• In the present climate, within the mainstream human rights world, a serious challenge is being posed to the principles of universality and equality by a host of concessions to ‘traditional values’ and ‘cultural rights’.

• Amnesty International should make public the following information - Investigative research which informs decisions on partnerships and alliances:
  • What process of investigation was carried out to determine whether Moazzam Begg was a suitable partner for Amnesty International?

 http://www.human-rights-for-all.org/spip.php?article53

The High Court yesterday in a ruling said none can force women, working at public and private educational institutions, to wear veils or cover their heads against their wills.

The court directed the education ministry to ensure the execution of its order.

It is their personal choice if they wear scarves or cover their heads, the court said.

The HC asked the education secretary to make sure that women are not harassed by their superiors at educational institutions.

The verdict came after a writ petition was filed seeking HC directive following a newspaper report that an upazila education officer of Kurigram insulted a female teacher by making a disgraceful remark in June last year.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=133602

The Court observed “It is the personal choice of a woman to wear a veil. If any person tries to compel a woman to wear a veil against her consent or will that amounts to a violation of her fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution”.

The Court observed “It is the personal choice of a woman to wear a veil . If any person tries to compel a woman to wear a veil against her consent or will that amounts to a violation of her fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution. It is her personal choice to do so or not to do so. In Bangladesh there has been no uniform practice of veiling or head covering among women. In recent years there have been reported instances of attempts to forcibly impose this not only by private persons but also by government officials. The instant case demonstrates the harassment of women and girls in public spaces, schools, educations and places of higher education both public and private.”

http://www.sacw.net/article1394.html

A senior official at Amnesty International who was suspended after she complained that the human rights organisation was too closely linked to a “pro-jihadi group” has left her job.

Gita Sahgal claimed that the charity’s links with Moazzam Begg, the former inmate at Guantánamo Bay, and his organisation Cageprisoners were undermining its campaigns.

She was suspended as interim head of Amnesty’s gender unit in February after an e-mail that she sent to her bosses criticising the links with Mr Begg was made public.

Ms Sahgal, 53, said yesterday that she felt that her seven years’ campaigning for women’s rights had been a waste of time because of the charity’s continuing work with the former prison-camp detainee and his group. “Their continued link to Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners undermines Amnesty’s claims to stand against gender-based violence and religious discrimination,” she said. “He supports Islamic states where women are second- class citizens.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7095732.ece

The senior leadership of Amnesty International chose to answer the questions I posed about Amnesty International’s relationship with Moazzam Begg by affirming their links with him. Now they have also confirmed that the views of Begg, his associates and his organisation Cageprisoners, do not trouble them. They have stated that the idea of jihad in self defence is not antithetical to human rights; and have explained that they meant only the specific form of violent jihad that Moazzam Begg and others in Cageprisoners assert is the individual obligation of every Muslim.

So I invite you to join me as I continue to campaign for public accountability at this moment, which comes but rarely in history, when a great organisation must ask: if it lies to itself, can it demand the truth of others?

Gita Sahgal

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday ordered legislation that would ban women from wearing Islamic veils that hide the face in the street and other public places. In seeking to forbid the garment from public view, Sarkozy defied the advice of experts sought by the government who warned that such a broad ban risked contravening France's constitution

Sarkozy has repeatedly said that such clothing oppresses women and is "not welcome" in France.

The decision to seek a full ban, rather than a limited ban, came as a surprise. After a Cabinet meeting just a week ago, the government spokesman announced a decision for legislation that bans the veil but takes into account conclusions on the matter by the Council of State, France's highest administrative office.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100421/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_muslim_veils

In fondo non dovrebbe essere cosi' complicato il concetto che la legge è uguale per tutti. Vive la France!

"When you arrive in France, you respect the laws in force .... Everyone will have to respect the laws in France. That's how it is," Nadine Morano, a junior minister for families, told the radio station France Info.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to France each year from the Middle East, according to estimates from the tourism ministry, and veiled women are a common sight in the luxury stores on Paris shopping boulevards.

Ms Morano said women breaching the ban would be fined but would not be unveiled "on the spot".

Ms Morano said the planned ban was in line with France's secular principles but also aimed to give "a message at international level" and would apply equally to visitors from abroad.

A 11h30, le cortège quitte la Corniche d’Aïn el-Mreisseh, direction le Parlement libanais, dans le centre-ville. Alexandre Paulikevitch, danseur, chorégraphe et co-organisateur de cette marche citoyenne, s’étonne de la mobilisation. Lancée il y a moins de 6 mois par cinq amis sur une page Facebook, cette Laïque Pride s’est répandue comme une traînée de poudre sur tous les réseaux sociaux libanais. Paulikevitch attendait à peine 1.000 personnes, le quadruple a répondu à l’appel: «C’est juste incroyable de voir tout ce monde ici! Il y a des gens de tous âges, de tous horizons! Je ne sais pas si cette marche changera quelque chose, mais c’était important de faire entendre notre voix.»

 Arrivée à 200m du Parlement, la manifestation se fige: un cordon policier empêche le passage. Intraitables, les forces de l’ordre ne bougent pas d’un centimètre. Dans la foule, musiciens et chanteurs prennent le relais, dans la foulée de l’hymne de cette marche écrit par le rappeur Rayess Bek.

http://lebanese-laique-pride.over-blog.com/

Di seguito l'inno della manifestazione.

Un primo piccolo passo.

"All of France will say 'non' to the full veil and will ask that this practice be prohibited on the territory of the republic," speaker Bernard Accoyer told reporters.

Supporters of the ban argue they are not attacking religious freedoms but rather upholding women's rights, with one prominent group saying the new law will liberate young Muslim girls growing up in France.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party and the opposition Socialists along with other smaller parties have all agreed to back the five-point resolution in the National Assembly.

Lawmakers will declare that "radical practices which violate the dignity and equality between men and women, such as the wearing of the full veil, are contrary to the values of the republic."

Parliament "deems it necessary that all useful means be put in place to ensure the protection of women who are subjected to violence and pressure and in particular are forced to wear the full veil," the resolution says.

 http://www.france24.com/en/20100511-france-burqa-niqab-parliament-assembly-national-contrary-values-national-resolution

Hirsi Ali, a former Dutch lawmaker who was threatened with death for criticizing Islam, was named by Jyllands-Posten newspaper as the winner of its Prize for Freedom of Expression.

"The committee did not doubt for an instant that you deserved this award for your unshakeable faith that it was worth fighting for your points of view," editor Joern Mikkelsen said at the prizegiving ceremony in Copenhagen.

He said he was "proud" to give her the award, saying that "Hirsi Ali's fight for the freedom of expression is also our fight".

Now living in the United States, she was in Copenhagen for the publication in Denmark of her new book "Nomad".

The Jyllands-Posten prize, worth 50,000 kroner ($8,880 Cdn), was launched in 2006 at the height of anti-Danish protests in some Muslim countries after the paper published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

French NGO “Ni Putes Ni Soumises” had planned a public debate on the eve of the presentation of the draft law that seeks a complete ban on the burqa, the full Islamic veil. However, pro-burqa supporters, who the police have failed to identify, violently thwarted the NGO’s efforts.

The debate, which began in a tense atmosphere, was allegedly disrupted by members of Sheikh Yassin, a pro-Palestinian group, forcing the organizers to call for police intervention, as insults turned into fistfights. The rioters had already fled upon the arrival of the police.

Manuel Valls, member of the French Socialist Party (PS) and supporter of the ban on the burqa, was among those present when the riots broke out. According to him, instead of dissuading him, the incident has only given impetus to his belief that the law should be established. "I feel that this case comes to try the Republic and its representatives and I for one won’t be intimidated”, he said.

"I think those who had doubts before tonight’s debate understood, as they left (the meeting), the need for a law that says enough to those who exploit Islam and reduce women to silence," added Sihem Habchi, President of Ni Putes Ni Soumises.

http://en.afrik.com/article17666.html

The move makes the northern city of Lleida — population of 135,000 — the first in Spain to regulate the garments that have triggered debate across Europe.

Lleida's town hall passed the ban Friday with 23 votes in favor, one against and two abstentions.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iXTeJXk6d0HDxNRKn-1F_PM0GvSgD9FVR2KG0

Ennesima dimostrazione che, laddove esiste la volontà politica, i miglioramenti avvengono.

Les nouvelles unions polygames et la justice musulmane vont être proscrites à Mayotte, île française de l’océan indien où l’islam est très fortement majoritaire, aux termes d’une ordonnance examinée mercredi en Conseil des ministres.Le gouvernement a décidé de mettre un terme à l’inégalité entre hommes et femmes en matière de mariage et de divorce, poursuivant ainsi la modernisation du statut civil de droit local applicable à Mayotte.

L’ordonnance prévoit d’appliquer aux Mahorais relevant du droit local - inspiré du droit musulman et des coutumes africaines et malgaches - les règles ordinaires du code civil dans ces domaines.

Elle interdit de contracter, à l’avenir, de nouvelles unions polygames, et ce sans condition d’âge, allant dans le sens des souhaits d’une majorité des habitants, notamment des femmes de l’île, les hommes étant, selon des sondages, beaucoup plus partagés.

A Mayotte, le mariage d’un homme avec plusieurs femmes étant toléré, certaines femmes ont dû accepter de “cohabiter” avec d’autres. Certains hommes polygames louent parfois plusieurs maisons.

Le texte du gouvernement constitue une nouvelle avancée par rapport à la réforme Girardin de 2003, qui avait commencé à restreindre la polygamie, mais permettait encore aux hommes nés avant le 1er janvier 1987 et aux femmes nées avant le 1er janvier 1990 de contracter de telles unions.

L’ordonnance présentée par la ministre de l’Outre-mer Marie-Luce Penchard proscrit en outre la répudiation.

Elle supprime la justice “cadiale”, une justice rendue par des juges musulmans pour des Mahorais relevant du statut personnel de droit local, dont le fonctionnement, souligne le pacte, “est incompatible avec des principes républicains” (assistance d’un avocat, procès contradictoire, audiences publiques).

Un plauso all'Egitto!

The Cairo Administrative Court yesterday upheld the decision of the higher education minister, Hany Helal, and heads of three universities to bar women who cover their faces with a niqab from sitting in this month’s mid-year exams.

The case was filed against the higher education minister and the heads of Cairo, Ain Shams and Helwan universities, the sheikh of Al Azhar, the grand mufti and the minister of religious affairs, Mohammed Hamdi Zaqzouq.

Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the grand imam of Al Azhar, banned the niqab in Al Azhar classrooms and dormitories after he forced a 12-year-old to remove her niqab. He said it did not matter as she was in a classroom full of girls and her school was run by women only.

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100104/FOREIGN/701039884/1135

The ban is a cornerstone of a "Save our State" amendment to the Oklahoma constitution that was recently approved by the Legislature.

The amendment -- which also would forbid judges from using international laws as a basis for decisions -- will now be put before Oklahoma's voters in November. Approval is expected.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Media/oklahoma-pass-laws-prohibiting-islamic-sharia-laws-apply/story?id=10908521

Ottimo, ora speriamo non ci mettano secoli per passare dalle parole ai fatti.

Barcelona plans to be the first large city in Spain to ban the use of the full-face Islamic veil in public buildings, its mayor announced Monday.

Jordi Hereu said he will sign a decree which will apply in all public spaces such as the city hall and municipal covered markets and creches.

"It should not be possible that someone enters into a place without being identified," the Socialist mayor said.

Several hundred people joined One Law for All on 20 June at Downing Street to show their opposition to Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and to demand universal rights and secularism.

MC Fariborz Pooya of the Iranian Secular Society said: “The One Law for All Campaign has brought to centre stage an important debate about the kind of society we want to live in whilst defending the rights of everyone irrespective of religion, race, nationality…; this Campaign is truly the voice of the voiceless.”

Women’s rights campaigner Yasmin Rehman said: “We Muslims have been a part of the UK for many, many years but the generations before me did not feel the need for or call for segregation in the way that is being demanded now. At the beginning of my career as a women’s rights advocate there was no need to apply for a certificate of Khula in divorce cases. Muslim women are now being told that divorces under the English legal system are not valued or recognised without a certificate of Khula – and should they remarry without this they will be committing Zina – a ‘crime’ punishable by death in many Muslim countries. This is not a view shared by all Islamic scholars but a view that is being pushed through the Islamic councils and tribunals across the UK.”

Sue Robson of the Gay And Lesbian Humanist Association said: “This is a human rights issue. Here in the UK, it’s an egalitarian issue; it’s a feminist issue. Elsewhere in our world, the issue is life – and death.”

Gerard Phillips of the National Secular Society said that Sharia Law was “nothing less than an attack on human rights and on equality.” He went on to say: “It undermines our democracy. It must be opposed.”

During the week of 5-11 July, take stones to your city centres, universities, workplaces, and put them in a public place, with a message in support of Sakine and against stoning and executions. Ask people to send letters of protest and sign the petition opposing it. Send in any photos to be included on the Iran Solidarity blog.

Let's end this once and for all.

http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-11-july-place-stones-in-public.html

But sharia councils, which are charities, are equally harmful since their mediation differs little from arbitration. Sharia councils will frequently ask people to sign an agreement to abide by their decisions. Councils call themselves courts and the presiding imams are judges. There is neither control over the appointment of these judges nor an independent monitoring mechanism. People often do not have access to legal advice and representation. Proceedings are not recorded, nor are there any searchable legal judgements. Nor is there any real right to appeal.

There is also danger to those at risk of domestic violence. In one study, four out of 10 women attending sharia courts were party to civil injunctions against their husbands.

Rights, justice, inclusion, equality and respect are for people, not for beliefs and parallel legal systems. To safeguard the rights and freedoms of all those living in Britain, there must be one secular law for all and no religious courts.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/jul/05/sharia-law-religious-courts

Vergogna!

Catalonia's parliament rejected Thursday a move to ban the wearing of the Islamic burqa in public places across the Spanish region after reversing an initial vote.

A resolution moved by conservatives and centre-right nationalists was passed, but opponents said there had been a technical error and some absentees at the moment of the vote.

After the session was suspended, the parliamentary speaker ordered the vote to be put again, prompting a walk-out by the motion's supporters and a victory for its left-wing opponents.

Spain's upper house of parliament last week approved a motion calling on Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government to ban the Islamic veil in public.

Earlier this month Justice Minister Francisco Caamano said the government planned to restrict the wearing of the veils in public places under a proposed new law on religious freedom.

The vote was 335 to 1.

The measure must still go to the French Senate before it becomes law. The Senate is expected to vote on it in the week of September 20.

French people back the ban by a margin of more than four to one, the Pew Global Attitudes Project found in a survey this spring.

Some 82 percent of people polled approved of a ban, while 17 percent disapproved. That was the widest support the Washington-based think tank found in any of the five countries it surveyed.

"Given the damage it produces on those rules which allow the life in community, ensure the dignity of the person and equality between sexes, this practice, even if it is voluntary, cannot be tolerated in any public place," the French government said when it sent the measure to parliament in May.

The bill envisions a fine of 150 euros ($190) and/or a citizenship course as punishment for wearing a face-covering veil.

Forcing a woman to wear a niqab or a burqa would be punishable by a year in prison or a 15,000-euro ($19,000) fine, the government said, calling it "a new form of enslavement that the republic cannot accept on its soil."

The measure would take effect six months after passage, giving authorities time to try to persuade women who veil themselves voluntarily to stop.

 http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/07/13/france.burqa.ban/?hpt=Sbin

Alliot-Marie argued that it has nothing to do with religion or security — she argued simply that life in the French Republic "is carried out with a bare face."

"It is a question of dignity, equality and transparency," she said in a speech that avoided mentioning the words "burqa" or "Islam." Officials have taken pains to craft language that does not single out Muslims: While the proposed legislation is colloquially referred to as the "burqa ban," it is officially called "the bill to forbid covering one's face in public."

Syria has banned students and teachers at universities from wearing the niqab, the full-face veil that has grown in popularity there in recent years.

“Syria is adamant about its secularism,” says Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “If the next generation is going to be raised to embrace the strict Islamic values for which the niqab is the expression, it will undermine the project Syria is trying to build, of secularism and coexistence of religions. “

Syria’s Ministry of Higher Education issued the decree on Sunday, banning the facial veil from both public and private universities. A government official told Al Arabiya television that the niqab, which blocks all but the eyes from view, was “against academic principles.” Last month, the Education Ministry removed hundreds of primary and secondary teachers who wore the niqab from their teaching positions.

Secularism is particularly important to Damascus because the president comes from the minority Alawite Muslim sect.

 http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0720/Veil-ban-Why-Syria-joins-Europe-in-barring-the-niqab

Syria has issued a directive banning women who wear full-face veils from attending public and private universities, the state-run news agency Sana reported on Sunday.

The directive reportedly came from the country's Minister of Higher Education, Ghaith Barakat.

The ban applies to women wearing full-face veils, not those who only wear headscarves.

  http://www.news24.com/World/News/Niqab-banned-at-Syrian-varsities-20100718

However, the Socialist government has said it favors including a ban on people wearing burqas in government buildings in an upcoming bill on religious issues to be debated after parliament's summer vacation break.

Following a lower chamber debate, 183 lawmakers opposed the ban, 162 voted for it and two abstained.

The nonbinding proposal had been put forward by the leading opposition Popular Party, which portrayed it as a measure in support of women's rights. The ruling Socialist Party opposed the ban.

"It is very difficult to understand how it is that our troops are defending liberty in Afghanistan and the government doesn't have the courage to do so here, in Spain," said opposition spokeswoman Soraya Saenz de Santamaria in Parliament.

The issue nevertheless remains an emotional touchstone, and Justice Minister Francisco Caamano said that such garments were "hardly compatible with human dignity."

Caamano said in June the government would begin debating a ban on women wearing burqas in government buildings which would include courts, ministries and employment offices as part of the religious issues bill.

 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iXTeJXk6d0HDxNRKn-1F_PM0GvSgD9H3008G0

Una ventata d'aria fresca dall'Asia!

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has reinstated the measure banning Islamic parties. In a document of 184 pages presented July 26 last, the Court has demolished the Fifth Amendment of the 1979Constitution, including provisions that allowed the rise of Islamic parties in parliament during military regimes (1975 - 1979, 1982 - 1990). The measure, introduced for the first time in January, has been blocked for six months because of an appeal process demanded by Islamic leaders.

Shafiq Ahmed, Minister of Justice, said the measure will be a blow to the extremist parties that can no longer use religion to political ends.

"Secularism - said the minister - will again be the cornerstone of the constitution." For the moment the court ruling does not provide for the cancellation of the Islamic inspiration of the constitution, but according Shafiq "thanks to the demolition of the Fifth Amendment, the modifications made during the military regimes can now be challenged in court." Moreover, the measure outlaws all those who supported the regimes from 1975 to 1990. "In theory - adds the minister - all citizens of Bangladesh may now bring a lawsuit against the former military dictator. The repeal of the amendment would also limit the possibility of future coups. " 

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Bangladesh-bans-Islamic-parties-19109.html

“Teaching is communication, it is about being able to look each other in the eye and in the face and to be able to communicate with each other. In this context I argue that it is extremely inappropriate to allow clothing that covers the face,” Björklund, speaking in his capacity as party leader

Ann-Charlotte Eriksson, deputy chairwoman of the Swedish Teachers’ Union (Lärarförbundet), welcomed the Liberals’ approach, which she said would give teachers clear guidance

http://www.thelocal.se/28176/20100804/ 

Mi sembra il minimo!

A PERTH judge has ordered that a Muslim woman must remove a full burqa while giving evidence before a jury in a fraud case.

Judge Shauna Deane today ruled that the witness must remove her niqab, or burqa face covering when she gives evidence to the jury.

The judge said she did not consider it appropriate that the witness give evidence with her face covered.

However she stressed she was not making a decision which was making a legal precedent, it was simply her ruling in these circumstances.

In court, defence lawyer Mark Trowell, QC, said the woman's wish to wear the burqa was a "preference she has".

"It's not an essential part of the Islamic faith. If she was in an Islamic court she would be required to remove it,'' he aid.

Judge Deane replied: ``This isn't an Islamic court.''

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/judges-orders-muslim-witness-must-remove-burqa/story-e6frf7l6-1225907310548

A leading WA Muslim has risked a backlash from his community by calling on the winner of the Federal election to ban the wearing of burqas in public.

Ameer Ali, an economics lecturer at Murdoch University and vice-president of the Regional Islamic Council of South-East Asia and the Pacific, makes the call in an opinion article in The West Australian today.

Dr Ali, describes the burqa and similar robe the niqab as "the lingering relics of a patriarchal, misogynistic and tribal culture" and argues there is no religious obligation in the Koran for it to be worn.

The native Sri Lankan, who arrived in Australia in 1977, argues that the niqab - which covers the entire female body apart from a split gap for the eyes - and the burqa, which has a mesh instead of a gap, not only covers a Muslim woman's anatomy but also "governs her mindset".

He argues the rise of Islamism, or political Islam, combined with "liberal immigration policies of Western governments", has increased the worldwide spread of the garments, which make it impossible for the wearer to properly interact with others around them.

He called on the major political parties to make banning the burqa a bipartisan issue. "France, the Netherlands and Belgium have legislated. Even Syria has disallowed this dress from public space," he said.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/7717510/ban-the-burqa-muslim-leader/

Please do your best to organise an event in your area. Per favore fate del vostro meglio per organizzare un evento nella vostra città. Je vous prie de bien vouloir organiser une manif dans votre ville.

The International campaign to save Sakineh Ashtiaani from stoning has brought this savage, criminal punishment to the attention of the world. Today Sakineh’s name is familiar to millions of people. Hundreds of thousands have expressed their abhorrence of stoning through, among other things, signing petitions and taking part in protest actions worldwide. This millions strong movement must be organized. It must take its protest to the streets!

To that end we call on citizens of the world to mark August 28, 2010 the day of protest action by 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING. We call on you, civilized people of the world, to actively show your vehement opposition to stoning as a pre-medieval form of savagery. Organize, or participate in, protest rallies everywhere. Condemn the Islamist regime in Iran as the cruelest regime of its kind that stones people to death. It has, during the 31 years of its existence, stoned at least 109 people, predominantly women, and currently has 25 more people sit on stoning death row. These barbaric, serial killings must be stopped!

We call especially on all anti-stoning campaigners, as well as all groups and organizations particularly involved in the on-going international campaign to save Sakineh, to actively mobilize, with everything in their power, for a strong 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING action. We request you all to contact us through our website addresses below in order to coordinate your efforts and organize more effectively. We shall soon announce the list of names of the cities willing and prepared to organize an action.

Further, we request all trade unions and other workers’ organization, women’s organizations, Amnesty International and all progressive organizations to join us in this campaign aimed at forcing back the Islamist regime. Please forward this callout to your membership and mobilize them for a forceful, global 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING.

We call on all local councils, city governments and MPs around the world to actively join this global, citizens’ campaign, issue statements and pass resolutions condemning the barbaric regime of stoning in Iran.

We request the world media to help us in disseminating the news of the advance of 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING campaign.

We also call on all Iranian individulas living abroad, all Iranian opposition organizations, and all the Farsi language media to consider 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING their own protest action against the regime of stoning in Iran. We request them to add to its force as well as expanse through contributing their creative ideas.

A Bangladesh court has ruled that people cannot be forced to wear skull caps, veils or other religious clothing in workplaces, schools and colleges.

The ruling came after reports that a college in the north had forced students to wear veils.

The high court also ruled that women cannot be prevented from taking part in sports or cultural activities.

The court said that wearing any form of religious clothing, for students and employees, should be a personal choice.

It has also asked the authorities to explain why it should not be made illegal to prevent girls from taking part in sports and cultural activitie

Though Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation, most people practise a moderate version of Islam.

In the long run, the country's politicians want the country to transform into a secular democracy rather than an Islamic republic.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11054231