Muslim leaders slammed French President Nicolas Sarkozy for describing burqa as a sign of “subservience”, saying it was a “direct attack” on Islamic identity and meant to “provoke” the community. “Sarkozy’s statement on burqa is a direct attack on Islamic identity and shows the level of hatred he has towards Islam and Muslims,” Shahi Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid Ahmed Bukhari said.
“France calls itself a secular democratic country. So, how can Sarkozy deny his people the right to freedom of religion,” Bukhari said, adding “such steps and injustice give birth to extremist elements who later become terrorists.”
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind spokesman Abdul Hameed Nomani said, “This is a negative attitude of French President and it shows how much influenced he is by anti-Islamic propaganda.”
“If nudity is not banned in France, then why the wearing of clothes should be?” both Bukhari and Noamani asked.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokesman S.Q.R. Ilyas asked the Indian government to lodge a strong protest with the French government.
Reacting strongly to French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s statement about burqa being “a sign of subservience”, head of Darul Uloom Farangi Mahal on June 23 said that such statements will “create a wide rift between the Muslims and the West if not withdrawn”.
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali also appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “to raise the voice of those millions of Muslims whose sentiments have been hurt”.
“When it comes to Catholic faith, certain religious practices are depicted through the dress code of priests and nuns. As a Muslim, I welcome and respect them. Similarly, I also expect the western society to respect the Muslim dress code as it is essential for the co-existence of different faiths,” the Mualana said in a statement.
On June 22, Sarkozy had said that “the issue of the burqa is not a religious issue, it is a question of women’s dignity and will not be welcomed in our territory”. Following the statement, around 60 legislators had proposed a review to combat the spread of burqa in France.
Sarkozy Defies Universal Values as He Tells Women What Not to Wear
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) criticised French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s intention to ban the wearing of Burqa – a garment worn by Muslim women in accordance with their religious belief. Reiterating its long established position that individuals must have the freedom to choose their attire on the basis of deeply-held religious beliefs, the MCB called upon the French President to desist from engaging in and promoting divisive politics towards its Muslim inhabitants. In this respect, the MCB echoes the US President Barack Obama’s caution that ‘it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practising religion as they see fit – for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. We cannot disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.’
Assistant Secretary General of the MCB, Dr. Reefat Drabu said: “It is patronising and offensive to suggest that those Muslim women who wear the burqa do so because of pressure or oppression by their male partners or guardians”. She added: “Such suggestions can legitimately be perceived as antagonistic towards Islam. Instead of taking a lead in promoting harmony and social cohesion amongst its people, the French President appears to be initiating a policy which is set to create fear and misunderstanding and may lead to Islamophobic reaction not just in France but in the rest of Europe too”.
Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband Mulls Fatwa against French Goods
Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband is contemplating a fatwa against buying goods made in France to protest the anti-burqa comments of French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Mufti Maulana Arshad Faruqui of Dar-ul-Ufta, the fatwa department of Dar-ul-Uloom, said it would also call for a boycott of Sarkozy. “If necessary, an edict may be issued to all followers ordering them to shun French merchandise,” Maulana Faruqui said.
He said the comment was “one of the most shameful chapters in human history”. By labelling burqa, naqab or purdah as a symbol of female subjugation, the French president has violated the law of his own country, which guarantees its citizens the right to practise their religion unhindered, he added.
“The utterances are an evil ploy aimed at bringing disrepute to France.” Faruqui said the statement delivered in the French parliament reeks of a “conspiracy against Christianity too” as even Virgin Mary has always been painted or sculpted with her head covered.