
Claude Guéant said that ban could later be extended to the rest of France, in particular to the Mediterranean cities of Nice and Marseilles, where “the problem persists”.
He promised the new legislation would be followed to the letter as it “hurts the sensitivities of many of our fellow citizens”.
“My vigilance will be unflinching for the law to be applied. Praying in the street is not dignified for religious practice and violates the principles of secularism, the minister told Le Figaro newspaper.
“All Muslim leaders are in agreement,” he insisted.
In December when Marine Le Pen, then leader-in-waiting of the far-Right National Front, sparked outrage by likening the practice to the Nazi occupation of Paris in the Second World War “without the tanks or soldiers”. She said it was a “political act of fundamentalists”.
More than half of right-wing sympathisers in France agreed with Marine Le Pen, at least one poll suggested.
Nicolas Sarkozy’s party denounced the comments, but the President called for a debate on Islam and secularism and went on to say that multiculturalism had failed in France.
Following the debate, Mr Guéant promised a countrywide ban “within months”, saying the “street is for driving in, not praying”.
In April, a ban on wearing the full Islamic veil came into force. Holland today became the third European country to ban the burka, after Belgium, despite the fact fewer than 100 Dutch women are thought to wear the face-covering Islamic dress.
Yesterday, Mr Guéant said the prayer problem was limited to two roads in the Goutte d’Or district of Paris’s eastern 19th arrondissement, where “more than a thousand” people blocked the street every Friday.
However, a stroll through several districts in Paris on a Friday suggests that Muslims spill into the streets outside many mosques.
Under an agreement signed this week, believers will be able to use the premises of a vast nearby fire station while awaiting the construction of a bigger mosque.
“We could go as far as using force if necessary (to impose the ban), but it’s a scenario I don’t believe will happen, as dialogue (with local religious leaders) has born fruit,” he said.
Sheikh Mohamed salah Hamza, in charge of one of the Parisian mosques which regularly overflows, said he would obey the new law, but complained: “We are not cattle” and that he was “not entirely satisfied” with the new location. He said he feared many believers would continue to prefer going to the smaller mosque.
Public funding of places of religious worship is banned under a 1905 law separating church and state. Mr Guéant said that there were 2,000 mosques in France with half being built in the past ten years.
France has Europe’s largest Muslim population, with an estimated five million in total.
…the only reason one would have for praying on the street is if the mosque runs out of space for a major prayer.
Yet again, France shows how dedicated it is to showing that the principles of liberté, égalité, fraternité applies to everyone to those filthy subhuman goat-fucking bacon-avoiding towelheads.
Of course multiculturalism has fucking failed in France. But blaming it just on the Muslims? Is basically pointing out splinters while there’s a huge motherfucking turd in one’s eye.
So, Muslims can’t pray on the streets, but they also can’t get permits to build bigger mosques. I see what you did there France.
how the fuck has multiculturalism failed? did france become monocultural while i wasn’t looking?
Don’t you know, multiculturalism fails when the silly marginalized bodies refuse to do as they’re told by the dominant group, like fall in line, and only show their culture as quaint displays during special festivals. And never, ever complain about how they’re not allowed to do something as simple and important to them as pray.
(Source: letthetruthlaugh)
old news, but still relevant
Who does this government think they are fooling.
I thought you were »>:(ing at me! brb laughing at myself forever
… !!! Wait, you were mad? D: No, er, um, no way was I saying that multiculturalism was an experiment. It’s not as if you...
It’s okay, we were snarking with you. Well, at least I was.
This is beyond shameful and reprehensible. I cannot even. All my good thoughts and wishes are with the Muslims of...
Completely a right step in the direction of a secular society. The article in itself said the law will apply to all...
Claude Guéant is not qualified to tell people what religious practices are ‘dignified’, or even whether a person needs...
ech. this is why my french friend told me not to bother moving to france. she says i look north african and will thus be...
And how is the business of a government to decide how people dress, or act on their religion?
”Multiculturalism has failed in France” WOW
No, just NO. WHAT ARE YOU DOING FRANCE.