The Naked Truth
There is a great controversy spawning these days across Western Europe. In France, President Sarkozy has signed and thus enacted a report of some French Commitee about the banning of the Muslim Veil in France. It is a first act in the right direction of the all too liberal Western society. I will explain myself. Western liberalism is based upon the notion of individual rights. Meaning that every individual has the right to freedom and this right is guaranteed by the law. Now, when it comes to clothing, everyone may dress as they please. That is, not a single person should force another to wear whatever piece of garment. The fact that Muslim women are forced to wear their veil by their male counterparts is in contradiction to the idea of freedom. So, a ban on the veil is justified. But, simply by banning it, the society, government, or however you call it, will force Muslim women NOT to wear those things. Even the ones that perhaps willingly and freely do so (due to their education or lack of education or whatever). So then, according to the basic law - the right to freedom - such a ban should not be made at all. But then those Muslim women who are forced to wear the veil are again oppressed. So, the ban should be introduced. And so on and on and on. A true Catch 22, is it not? No, it is not. Because, regardless how free our society is, there are still prohibiting laws. One cannot simply run around naked for instance, it is forbidden. But this too is a violation of one’s freedom, is it not? Why should someone be forced to wear anything at all? So here comes the rub: clearly, the freedom of any individual should only be allowed to a point where it does not contradict with the basic culture and civilization of the society in question. This means that a woman travelling in Iran will have to wear the veil, because this is the law in Iran, according to their culture. Any woman who does not wish to do so has another option: not to go to Iran. But once there she must oblige to the rules. The same in Europe. Any Muslim coming to or living in Europe should live by the laws and customs of the land. The other option is not to come here. And since Europeans are used to offer people the greatest possible freedom, it should be enacted even through the means of laws. Prohibitive laws if necessary. Europe should not change in a way to make the Muslims feel as home as in Iran. No, Muslims who choose to live in Europe must be able to adapt to the life in Europe. Sadly, they have been taught that Europe adapts itself to their needs and not the other way around. Lately I can see a beneficial change in this direction. Just think about the Swiss referendum that prohibits building new minarets in Switzerland. Now the French are doing something too. I cannot but agree with these actions. Otherwise we would be facing the fact that all new immigrants have the freedom to do as they wish, as they do at home. And before you know it, we would remain with the ‘freedom’ not to disturb them, with the ‘freedom’ to shut up.
Attila Andrasy
26/01/2010
Rate this article
