French minister sparks fury with remarks on Muslims
The French minister for women’s rights has sparked outrage by comparing those Muslim women who wear burqa, a type of Islamic veil, to “negroes who accepted slavery.”
Speaking on a French TV channel on Wednesday, Laurence Rossignol criticized as “irresponsible” fashion brands that offer products designed specifically for Muslim women.
Rossignol apologized for using the word “negro,” describing it as a “slip of the tongue” but stuck to the rest of her comments, which sparked outrage on social media.
Thousands of people have now signed a petition that calls for her to resign over the abusive and racially-charged remarks.
“It is with anger and exasperation that we have been once again confronted with the verbal violence of a political leader,” wrote the organizers of a petition launched on change.org.
“Asked about the false debate on ‘Islamic fashion’ she came out with scandalous propositions that feed the confusion and stigmatization of Muslim women and the millions of transported slaves,” the petition said.
A number of politicians in France — which claims to be a free society — have raised issued with Islamic dress codes.
France in 2004 made a ban on the hijab (Islamic veil) into a broad law that covers schoolchildren and even parents who want to accompany class outings. The ban, which views hijab as a “conspicuous” religious symbol, has enraged France’s Muslim community, which is the largest in Europe.
According to the Committee against Islamophobia in France, known by its French acronym CCIF, some 130 students were banned from classes in 2014 for wearing outfits considered as too openly religious.
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