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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Letter Campaign Against France's Anti-Hijab Drive |
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| Saffiyah |
| 12/03/03 at 17:37:36 |
| Letter Campaign Against France's Anti-Hijab Drive By Reda Hammad, IOL Correspondent ABU DHABI, December 3 (IslamOnline.net) - A London-based human rights advocacy group has launched a worldwide counter-campaign to press the French government into giving up plans to ban hijab in public institutions. The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) urged Muslims all over the world to write to European officials and foreign ministers of world countries to take a strong action to stop the mooted discriminatory bill. It also proposed sending similar letters to French President Jacques Chirac, his Interior Minister Nicolas Sarcozy and French ambassadors. The campaign came after French Premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin secured Friday, November 28, a majority approval of his ruling party to pass the controversial bill. The commission further prepared model letters to the foreign ministers, ambassadors and other officials. Monil Zidan, the director of Zidan Media Consultancy Group, which sponsors the campaign, told IslamOnline.net it was designed to urge Muslims to stand up to Islamophobia in Europe, adding that France's anti-hijab bill was a case in point. He described the letters campaign as one of the concrete steps taken to force the French government to respect Islamic religious symbols and freedom to religion. "If the French government insist on passing such bill, the IHRC will file a lawsuit before the European human rights tribunal, given that the discriminatory measure runs counter to human rights enshrined in relevant E.U. conventions," Zidan asserted. A fierce battle has been raging in France’s courts over the expulsion of girls from schools for refusing to remove their hijab. More recently women are being denied their ID cards and passports unless they remove their hijab. Zidan lamented that Muslims are the weakest minority in Europe, who do not take a firm action when their rights are breached. "They are subject to almost daily maltreatments and injustice; therefore, the IHRC, in cooperation with other NGOs in Europe, is trying to make Muslims speak with one voice and act in concert," added the rights activist. He further said that passing the anti-hijab bill in France would serve as "a legitimate and legal umbrella for anti-Muslims campaigns launched by racist circles (in Europe)". Zidan called on Muslims in the Arab and Islamic worlds to join the campaign "since the French bill is not only targeting Muslim women in France, but also Muslim women visiting France". Set up in 1997, the IHRC is an independent, non-profit, campaign, research and advocacy organization, working in partnership with different organizations from Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds. It campaigns for justice for all peoples regardless of their racial, religious or political background. http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2003-12/03/article05.shtml |
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| Re: Letter Campaign Against France's Anti-Hijab Dr |
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| Saffiyah |
| 12/03/03 at 17:39:04 |
| http://www.ihrc.org/ URGENT ALERT: FRANCE - government attempts to ban hijab. 29 November 2003 Take action to prevent the proposed bill banning hijab becoming law. -------------------------------------------------------------- Islamic Human Rights Commission -------------------------------------------------------------- 29th November 2003 URGENT ALERT: FRANCE - government attempts to ban hijab. 1. Background 2. Suggested Action 3. Model Emails / Letters / Faxes 1. Background IHRC has been monitoring the deteriorating situation in France regarding women’s rights, in particular the right of Muslim women to wear hijab. IHRC reported some months back on rumours that the French government would be attempting to introduce laws to ban hijab. This prospect has taken another step towards becoming a reality in law, as the French Prime Minister announced yesterday to a meeting of his party the UMP that he would be introducing a bill to ban the wearing of ostentatious religious symbols. A fierce battle has been raging in France’s courts for more than a decade over the expulsion of girls from school for refusing to remove their hijab. More recently women are being denied their ID cards and passports unless they remove their hijab. Four days a go a juror was dismissed from a case for wearing hijab. French institutions and authorities usually claim that the scarf violates French secularism. The French prime minister now says his bill is aimed at lifting restrictions on women. This is a bizarre contention as the bill will force women to remove clothing – in other words it will violently abuse their human rights. 2. Suggested Actions IHRC requests all campaigners to take the following suggested actions: (i) If you live within the European Union (but are not French), please write to your Minister for Foreign Affairs / Minister for Europe demanding they make the strongest representations to the French government to stop this action. This proposed bill violates the European Convention on Human Rights and is clearly a discriminatory blow to Muslim women forcing them to either violate their principles or quite simply stay at home. UK campaigners please note that the British Minister for Europe is the Islamophobic Dennis MacShane MP. IHRC requests campaigners not to write to him but to the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw MP (please see the model letter below). (ii) Please write to the French Ambassador in your country demanding that the government halt this proposed action, as it violates the European Convention on Human Rights. (iii) Please write to French President Jacques Chirac requesting he take a stand against the rise of Xenophobia in the French government. (iv) Please write to the French Interior Minister who has opposed banning religious symbols in the past, requesting that he stand firm on this and resist the implementation of this and any other discriminatory legislation. 3. Model letters / faxes / emails and contact addresses (a) Model letter to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw MP (b) Model letter to Ministers for Foreign Affairs (general) (c) Model letter to French Ambassadors (d) Model letter to President Jacques Chirac (e) Model letter to French Interior Minister (a) Model letter to Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP Your name Your email Your address Date Rt Hon Jack Straw MP Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH, Fax: +44 20 7839 2417 :: Email private.office@fco.gov.uk Dear Mr. Straw, Re: French government’s plan to ban religious symbols in public places I write with regard to the French Prime Minister’s comments on Friday 28th November 2003 regarding his proposed bill to ban religious symbols. I am deeply concerned that this will be enacted and request that you make immediate representations to the French government to prevent any such legislation being further discussed let alone enacted. Clearly such a bill will violate the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as other international documents and standards. It would also be a discriminatory blow to Muslim women forcing them to either violate their principles or quite simply stay at home. In point of fact the proposed requirement for Muslim women to remove clothing is a violent abuse of their rights and can not be sanctioned by any government respecting human rights. I look forward to hearing from you shortly regarding the immediate action you have taken in this matter. I note that the Minister for Europe in your office is in fact Dr. Dennis MacShane MP. However I do not feel that he should remain in his position given his recent Islamophobic outbursts. He certainly cannot intercede in this matter as he has clearly exhibited a derogatory attitude towards Muslims, and I trust that your office will be looking to replace him shortly should he refuse to do the honourable thing and resign. I await your urgent response. Yours sincerely, Your name (b) Model letter to Ministers for Foreign Affairs (general) To find the address of your Minister for Foreign Affairs go to: http://www.usip.org/library/formin.html Your name Your email Your address Date Name of Minister Address of Minister Dear [NAME of MINISTER], Re: French government’s plan to ban religious symbols in public places I write with regard to the French Prime Minister’s comments on Friday 28th November 2003 regarding his proposed bill to ban religious symbols. I am deeply concerned that this will be enacted and request that you make immediate representations to the French government to prevent any such legislation being further discussed let alone enacted. Clearly such a bill will violate the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as other international documents and standards. It would also be a discriminatory blow to Muslim women forcing them to either violate their principles or quite simply stay at home. In point of fact the proposed requirement for Muslim women to remove clothing is a violent abuse of their rights and can not be sanctioned by any government respecting human rights. I look forward to hearing from you shortly regarding the immediate action you have taken in this matter. I await your urgent response. Yours sincerely, Your name (c) Model letter to French Ambassadors To find the name and address of the French Ambassador in your country go to: http://www.info-france-usa.org/atoz/embassies.asp Your name Your address Your email / fax Date Name of Ambassador Name of Embassy Address of Embassy Your Excellency, Re: French government’s plan to ban religious symbols in public places I write with regard to the French Prime Minister’s comments on Friday 28th November 2003 regarding his proposed bill to ban religious symbols. I am deeply concerned at these comments and request you to make my opposition to this action known to our government. I am shocked that having so recently stood up to the bullying tactics of the USA over the Iraq war, your government now mimics its xenophobia in its treatment of Muslim women. Any such action on the part of your government will not simply alienate Muslims but all those who believe in equal and full rights for women and minorities world-wide. I look forward to hearing from you shortly regarding this matter, in the hope that the Prime Minister’s comments do no become a governmental policy or decision. Yours truly, Your name (d) Model letter to President Jacques Chirac Your letter can be emailed by using the following page: http://www.elysee.fr/ang/pres/portr_.htm Your name Your address Your email / fax Date Monsieur le Président de la République Palais de l'Elysée 55, rue du faubourg Saint-Honoré 75008 Paris FRANCE Dear Monsieur Chirac, Re: French government’s plan to ban religious symbols in public places I write with regard to the French Prime Minister’s comments on Friday 28th November 2003 regarding his proposed bill to ban religious symbols. I am shocked that having so recently stood up to the bullying tactics of the USA over the Iraq war, your government now mimics its xenophobia in its treatment of Muslim women. Any such bill would violate all human rights standards including the European Convention on Human Rights and I urge you to arbitrate in this mater and stop this abuse of the function of the Prime Minister’s office. Any such action on the part of the French government will not simply alienate Muslims in France and world-wide but all those who believe in equal and full rights for women and minorities. Just as you have spoken out in recent weeks against anti-semitism you must tackle this growing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in French institutions and indeed the government. I look forward to hearing from you shortly regarding this matter, in the hope that the Prime Minister’s comments do no become a governmental policy or decision. Yours sincerely, Your name (e) Model letter to French Interior Minister M. Nicolas Sarkozy Ministre de l’Interieur, de la Securite et des Libertes Locales Ministere de l’Interieur Place Beauvau Paris France Fax +33 1 43 59 89 50 e-mail sirp@cybercable.fr Dear Monsieur Sarkozy, Re: French government’s plan to ban religious symbols in public places I write with regard to the French Prime Minister’s comments on Friday 28th November 2003 regarding his proposed bill to ban religious symbols. I strongly urge you in your capacity to resist any such bill as it would violate all human rights standards including the European Convention on Human Rights. Any such action on the part of the French government will not simply alienate Muslims but all those who believe in equal and full rights for women and minorities world-wide. I look forward to hearing from you shortly regarding this matter, in the hope that the Prime Minister’s comments do no become a governmental policy or decision. Yours sincerely, Your name ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please contact the office on the numbers below for further information. Islamic Human Rights Commission PO Box 598 Wembley HA9 7XH United Kingdom Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222 Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183 Email: info@ihrc.org Web: www.ihrc.org info@ihrc.org |
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