Again it is best to build up your own country. When will we africans realize that the rule of law is the basis of any civilized society. People seek out opportunities elsewhere to enjoy basic rights denied at home.
Read the story of how France is cracking down:
Men whose wives must wear a full Islamic veil will not be granted citizenship, France's justice minister has said.
Michele Alliot-Marie said wearing the niqab or burqa - where the face is covered - affected 'our ability to live together, the values of the republic and in particular human dignity'.
A parliamentary panel is exploring possible laws to bar women from wearing full face veils in the country, home to Europe's biggest Muslim population.
Speaking in a television interview, Ms Alliot-Marie said, 'There are a certain number of basics on which we must stand firm.
'For instance, someone who would be seeking French citizenship and whose wife wears the full veil is someone who would not appear to be sharing the values of our country.
'Therefore in a case like that one, we would reject his request.'
Her comments mark the latest contribution to the ongoing debate over French identity, which has focused on certain Islamic practices such as dress.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has called the wearing of a full veil 'not a religious sign (but) a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement'.
Critics have accused him of pandering to racism by initiating the debate over how a minority of French society dresses.
The former Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin - normally Sarkozy's political ally - recently accused the government of launching a 'bar-room discussion' of identity.
In 2004 a law was passed banning French pupils from wearing 'conspicuous' religious symbols at state schools, a move widely interpreted as aimed at the Muslim headscarf.
US President Barack Obama is among those who did not support the move, commenting: 'In the US, our basic attitude is that we're not going to tell people what to wear.'
An estimated five million Muslims live in France, making up about 8% of the population.
More than half (54%) of French people believe Islam is compatible with their society, according to a recent poll.
Telstra BigPond News and Weather
12-12-2009, 04:14 PM
France's strict new citizenship laws
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