Moroccan Beaches - Burkinis and Bikinis

"Au Maroc, burkini et bikini coexistent sur les plages" The Moroccan Minister of Tourism, Lahcen Haddad, may have been speaking French, but his meaning was universally clear - Morocco is more tolerant than France, but, as he pointed out "This burkini story is a Franco-French affair and as a member of the Moroccan government, I am in no position to comment on the decisions of another country."

Diplomacy aside, Minister Haddad is correct. Visit a Moroccan beach and you will see a huge range of beachwear. However, some hotels and resorts have implemented bans in their pools. The Minister is quick to point out, that "... the ban on Burkini in Morocco emanates from some private institutions. We are in a Muslim country that also respects individual freedom and private initiative."

"The Moroccan state does not intervene there. On the beaches, people wear what they want provided you follow the rules of modesty. But for hygienic reasons of their own, some institutions and resorts do not tolerate the burkini. In Morocco we respect the values ​​of moderate Islam. bikini and burkini co-exist on our beaches." - Lahcen Haddad

The Minister also noted that in 2001, Morocco cracked down on Islamist association Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane’s members and supporters who attempted to Islamize Moroccan beaches.

“The Moroccan state takes control when citizens try to be vigilantes in public places,” he said, “the public beaches are available to everyone to access them, but no one has the right to tell others how to dress.”

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Backlash Against France's Burkini Ban

France is experiencing a worldwide backlash against its shameful moves to ban the burkini - the Australian designed bathing costume for Muslim women

Nice, Cannes, and several other French cities have recently enacted bans against the burkini, with supporters arguing that the swimwear is not "respectful of good morals and of secularism," and that it poses risks to hygiene and security. Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said that the burkini represents the "enslavement of women," while former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who announced his 2017 presidential campaign this week, described it as a "provocation" that supports radical Islam.

The argument for the ban rests, ostensibly, on the French principle of laïcité, which aims to keep religion out of the public sphere, and on the basis of gender equality. But critics say the burkini bans only serve to further stigmatise France's Muslim population — the largest in Europe — at a time when tensions are running high following terror attacks in Nice and the northern city of Rouen this summer. The French feminist group Osez le Féminisme! excoriated the bans in a statement released this week, saying they serve only to humiliate Muslim women "on the grounds of sexism and racism".

On Thursday, the council of state, France’s highest administrative court, will examine a request by the French Human Rights League to scrap the burkini bans. Lawyers argue that the short-term decrees are illegal.

A French politician has threatened lawsuits for showing these photos

Meanwhile, a French politician has threatened to file a lawsuit against anyone who shares photos or videos of police enforcing a ban on the burkini. The statement comes after the widespread circulation of photos showing the Muslim woman removing her clothes in front of four male police officers on a beach in Nice. The French spin doctors are hard at work trying to lessen the damage and now the Nice mayor’s office has even attempted to deny that the woman had been forced to remove clothing, telling Agence France-Presse that the woman was showing police the swimsuit she was wearing under her tunic over a pair of leggings

Christian Estrosi, president of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and deputy mayor of Nice, said in a statement Wednesday that the photos "provoke defamatory remarks and threats" against police agents. He added that legal complaints have already been filed "to prosecute those who spread the photographs of our municipal police officers and those uttering threats against them on social networks."

News media around the world have widely condemned the French ban and even non-Muslim women have been buying burkinis to wear in solidarity with the French women.

Burkini to the rescue - an Australian lifesaver

The British newspaper, The Guardian comments: The French republic is built on a strict separation of church and state, intended to foster equality for all private beliefs. In theory, the state is neutral in terms of religion and allows everyone the freedom to practise their faith as long as there is no threat to public order.

Benoît Hamon, a former education minister running to be the Socialists’ presidential candidate in the 2017 election, said a woman being stopped by police for wearing a headscarf on a beach made a mockery of French secularism and warned against “an obsessive oneupmanship against Muslims” by politicians.

The Green party senator Esther Benbassa tweeted: “Women in headscarves stopped by police on the beach. Secularism? No. Harassment. Anti-religious persecution.”

The French group Osez le féminisme said: “We condemn these anti-burkini decrees. Where are women’s rights when we hold one category of women responsible for ‘public disorder’, or even for terrorism? What is the link between a woman in a headscarf on a beach and mass murders carried out by jihadis?”

The garment’s Australian creator Aheda Zanetti,  reports that her sales have gone through the roof since Nice joined Cannes and a number of other water-side locations in not allowing women to wear the conservative design.

“Online sales in the last week have probably had a 200 per cent jump, maybe even 300 per cent,” she explains.

Aheda Zanetti - "I created the burqini for freedom, not to take it away"

While Ms Zanetti’s business has been buoyed by the recent controversy, she says that as a woman and a mother, she’s deeply hurt by the ban.

"I don’t understand why people think they have the right to [tell women what they can and can't wear]", Ms Zanetti says. She's also disappointed that her design has been politicised and associated with a certain religion.

“You can’t judge a wearer, she could be anyone and she is anyone," she states, “This has always been a swimsuit for everyone, it was designed to integrate among the West. It does not symbolise a Muslim woman, it should not symbolise a Muslim woman because the veil was taken away."

"The veil is usually a symbol of a typical Muslim woman and we took that away and replaced it with a hood to integrate within our Western friends and neighbours. No one needs to judge us on what faith we are if we choose to be modest while enjoying our leisure time."

At the same time France is being put to further shame by the actions of several other more tolerant societies. In Canada, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, called for  "the respect of individual rights and choices" and ruled out a burkini ban.  Also the Royal Canadian Mounted Police known simply as "the Mounties", have adopted a new uniform policy to allow female Muslim officers to wear the hijab.

Scott Bardsley, spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, confirmed that RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson recently approved an addition to the uniform policy to allow women officers to wear the head scarf "if they so choose."

"The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is a progressive and inclusive police service that values and respects persons of all cultural and religious backgrounds," Bardsley said.

Bardsley said the RCMP will be the third Canadian police force to adopt the hijab policy, behind Toronto and Edmonton police services. Police services across the U.K., Sweden and Norway, and some in U.S. states, have also adopted similar policies.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims applauded the policy change, calling it a "welcome one and a natural evolution for Canadian policing." The advocacy group said three types of headscarves were tested to select one that would not encumber officers and could be easily removed when required.

"While in 1990 there was initial reluctance to allow Sikh RCMP officers to wear the turban as part of their uniforms, Canadians have since embraced the change and we expect that this will be the same with the decision to allow the hijab, said the council's communications director Amira Elghawaby in a release.

"The Canadian Muslim population is growing and this decision will help reflect the richness and diversity of our country as well as open up career options for minorities."

The military has longstanding policies "to protect and promote the religious or spiritual rights and freedoms of [Canadian Armed Forces] members," including accommodating religious and spiritual requirements "if militarily practicable."

 Lt.-Cmdr. Wafa Dabbagh became the first CAF member to wear the hijab in 1996

Lt. Commander Wafa Dabbagh became the first female member of the Canadian Armed Forces to wear the hijab in 1996.

According to the military's dress instructions manual dated 2001, members can wear the hijab with certain conditions.

"For spiritual and religious reasons, members are authorised to wear the hijab, provided that any danger should be avoided when they carry some types of operational gear parts such as gas mask, oxygen mask, combat/vehicle/flying/ construction helmets, diver's mask, etc.," the policy reads.

"In case of real danger, these members shall modify their hairstyling or hijab, or both, in a way that will allow them to wear the requested gear."

British police have allowed hijab for the last ten years

And on the other side of the Atlantic, Police Scotland have approved the hijab as official uniform to boost number of Muslim women joining force.

In a statement, chief constable Phil Gormley said: “I am delighted to make this announcement and welcome the support from both the Muslim community, and the wider community, as well as police officers and staff.

“Like many other employers, especially in the public sector, we are working towards ensuring our service is representative of the communities we serve. I hope that this addition to our uniform options will contribute to making our staff mix more diverse and adds to the life skills, experiences and personal qualities that our officers and staff bring to policing the communities of Scotland.”

The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Police Muslim Association (SPMA), a group that aims to build links between Muslim communities in Scotland and the police.

Fahad Bashir, chair of the SPMA said: “This is a positive step in the right direction, and I am delighted that Police Scotland is taking productive steps in order to ensure that our organisation is seen to be inclusive and represents the diverse communities that we serve across Scotland.

“No doubt this will encourage more women from Muslim and minority ethnic backgrounds to join Police Scotland.”

Back in France Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has warned against stigmatising Muslims. Speaking after a meeting with the head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Cazeneuve said: "The implementation of secularism, and the option of adopting such decrees must not lead to stigmatisation or the creation of hostility between French people."

In the end, France’s burkini ban exposes the hypocrisy of its secularist state and the ban on the burkini will do nothing but further increase tensions and fuel extremism. It brings nothing but shame to the country of France.

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Weekend of Twinning - Muslims and Jews - "Standing Up for the Other"

Next month, in cities around the world, peacemakers will come together, break bread and discuss ways of improving the world as part of the Weekend of Twinning, which officially takes place November 15-17th

There is a widely accepted but erroneous belief that Muslims and Jews are enemies and will always remain so. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

For the past six years The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding has not only challenged this narrative, but has facilitated a global dialogue between Muslims and Jews that is taking place on all six populated continents.

A flashback to last year and Muslim-Jewish cooperation

Part of this Muslim-Jewish dialogue is an annual Weekend of Twinning which encourages joint Muslim and Jewish programming on the grassroots level in every community across the world where Muslims and Jews reside.

Efforts reveal that actual harmony exists between these two faiths and peoples and the Unity Productions Foundation, has released the video (above) which documents this global Muslim Jewish coalition that is vowing to stand up for one another by combating Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred.

To participate in the Weekend of Twining, please contact ffeu@ffeu.org

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Anti-Muslim Film Protests Spread - Update

On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Tripoli, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans were killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi when an armed mob stormed the consulate, torching the building after looting it. The protests were sparked by the American-made amateur video called "Innocence of Muslims." 

The low-budget movie, in which actors have strong American accents, portrays Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent. It also pokes fun at the Prophet Mohammed and touches on themes of paedophilia and homosexuality. According to the Wall Street Journal the film was produced by Israeli-American Sam Bacile who describes Islam as a cancer.

Protestors in Casablanca

Morocco has described as "shameful aggression" the attack on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi, and presented its "sincere condolences" to the US government and people, while denouncing the film that prompted the attack. The Moroccan government stressed that the attack "cannot, in any case, be justified," in a statement carried by the official MAP news agency.

In Casablanca on Wednesday hundreds of people protested outside the US consulate. The protesters, numbering between 300 and 400 mostly young activists, gathered around 200 metres from the consulate amid a heavy police presence. Some shouted anti-US slogans, including "Death to Obama!", but without resorting to violence. The Casablanca protest appeared to have been called spontaneously, via social media networks, and without the involvement of any particular organisation.

Police guard the US consulate in Casablanca in 2007 (photo: Abdelhak Senna)

The two-hour movie that sparked the protests first came to attention in Egypt after its trailer was dubbed into Arabic and posted on YouTube.

The reaction in the social media has been swift and angry, with one Moroccan woman's Facebook comment about the film's makers "I will enjoy seeing them all burn in hell, inshallah" being typical of many responses.

Unfortunately, in the United States, the film is being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Christian pastor Terry Jones. On Wednesday, a MSNBC panel debated whether Jones should be held responsible for the deaths resulting from the protests. Others on the left have presented similar arguments, saying the film is to blame for the attacks, seemingly deflecting blame from the radical Islamists who carried out the acts of violence.

Hillary Clinton Comments

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called a US-produced anti-Islam film that has angered Muslim communities in North Africa "disgusting" but said it cannot be used as a justification for the kind of violence seen at the US embassy in Libya.

The US Embassy in Morocco, like other  embassies, has moved quickly and widely disseminated Secretary Hilary Clinton's earlier remarks about the killings in Libya - in Arabic. (See the Arabic text here)


The film's director in hiding

The director of a film that sparked protests says he is "upset" at the death of the US ambassador to Libya and has gone into hiding, a consultant on the project said on Wednesday.

"He's very upset that the ambassador got murdered," Steve Klein told AFP, adding that he had spoken to filmmaker Sam Bacile by phone earlier in the day, but did not know his location.

When Bacile - not his real name - was told about the death of US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, "he melted, he fell apart," added Klein, who said he was one of some 15 people behind the film, "Innocence of Muslims."  He added that the reported Israeli-American director could suffer the same fate as Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, who was assassinated in 2004 after triggering protests with an anti-Muslim film.

Asked if Bacile could be killed, he said: "If he goes public I'm sure he will."

Protestors on the walls of the US Embassy in Cairo 

Other reaction

In Cairo, several thousand people stormed the US embassy in a similar protest against the film. On Thursday Egyptian police used tear gas as they clashed with the stone-throwing crowd after 13 people were injured in overnight unrest, according to the health ministry.

The U.S. embassy in Cairo issued an apology to Muslims shortly after rioting Muslims tore apart the American flag outside the embassy: “The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions.”

A protester throws a tear gas canister near the US embassy in Cairo   photo: Amr Dalsh

Algeria's foreign ministry, meanwhile, condemned the low-budget movie, "Innocence of Muslims," The Algerian Foreign Minister, Mourad Medelci, offered his condolences to his US counterpart Hilary Clinton, after the deadly attack. Ministry spokesman Amar Belani meanwhile deplored "the irresponsibility of the authors of the film... which offends Islam and his prophet".

"The outrages on the sacred religious symbols... can only result in disapproval and indignation, because these provocations are designed to fuel hatred," he added.

The US embassy in Algiers issued an emergency travel warning, urging US citizens to avoid large crowds, and to "be aware of the potential for protests or demonstrations at any time."

Protestors in Gaza  photo: Suhaib Salem

Further, U.S. embassies in at least seven countries in the Middle East, including Sudan, Tunisia and Morocco, Africa and the Caucuses are warning of possible anti-American protests.

The embassies in Armenia, Burundi, Kuwait, Sudan, Tunisia and Zambia, along with the embassy in Egypt, which was hit by a protest on Tuesday, all issued warnings on Wednesday advising Americans to be particularly vigilant.

The warnings, posted on the embassies’ websites, do not report any specific threat to Americans but note that demonstrations can become violent.

Protests have also broken out in Kuwait, Tunisia, Yemen, Gaza and Sudan.

Yemeni police shot dead a protester and wounded five others when they opened fire on a crowd attempting to storm the United States embassy in Sana'a to protest the film. The shooting in Sana'a came as protesters, chanting "O, messenger of Allah... O, Mohammed" launched a second charge on the complex which they had stormed earlier, but were ejected by the security forces.

Yemen president Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi apologised to his US counterpart Barack Obama and the American people for the acts of a "mob" and ordered a probe.

In Iran, up to 500 people protested in Tehran, chanting "Death to America!" and death to the movie's director. The rally took place near the Swiss embassy, which handles US interests in the absence of US-Iran diplomatic ties.

Fearing a violent backlash, Afghan president Hamid Karzai has postponed a planned visit to Norway.

The US has sent a detachment of 50 marines to secure the American embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, where staff numbers were being cut to emergency levels.

Washington also began evacuating all its staff from its mission in Benghazi while at the same time sending two destroyers to "the vicinity of Libya" as a precautionary measure, a senior US official said.

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Western Media Coverage of Islam and Muslims

The portrayal of Muslim peoples and culture in the non-Muslim media has long been problematic. Whereas exclusion from mainstream media is common, where coverage does exist it often perpetuates negative stereotypes and presents Muslim culture in a critical manner. Yacine Houhoud Tamsamani, writing for Morocco World News, examines the  problem. 

The important role that the mass media are playing not only in keeping people informed, but also in shaping public attitudes about political and social issues is well recognised. Broadcasting has a crucial role in shaping how majorities, by and large, think about minorities. The latter have been often portrayed by the media in negative stereotypes. The image of Islam and Muslim minorities has been among those depicted in a negative way especially since past 9/11. This has crucial and significant implications because it addresses a controversial issue, which is the view of non-Muslims in relation to Muslim communities.

Many studies have addressed the fact that representation of Islam and Muslim views are almost absent from the media. A case in point is that of British Muslims, whose representativeness is very low. According to Byrne (2008), only 11% of the British Muslim population are represented in the media. He adds that the media’s usage of few individuals and organisations does not do justice to the complete spectrum of views held by British Muslims and the ethnic diversity of Muslims in Britain. In other words, all British Muslims from different ethnic backgrounds should be given opportunities to express their opinions, otherwise this exclusion, according to Byrne, might not be helpful for British society.

Likewise, Richardson (2001)[1] commented “Muslim communities are almost excluded. However, when they do appear, they are included only as participants in news events, not as providers of informed commentary in news events; and therefore, that the issue and concerns of the communities are not being served by the agenda of the broadsheet press.” These findings of his analysis of representations of Islam and Muslims focused on British broadsheet newspapers. This includes Financial Times, The Independent, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, The Times, and two British broadsheet Sunday newspapers; Sunday Independent, Sunday Times.

Hollywood films in other areas have also been made. Shaheen, a professor of mass communication at southern Illinois University and the author of Reel Bad Arabs [2] devoted much of his work to the subject of Arab representations in the media. In the post 9/11 era, he gives a better understanding about Arab stereotypes perpetrated in the media. He surveyed over 900 films and found that very few depicted Arabs and Muslims leading normal and healthy lives (Shaheen, 2003).

However, not all representations of Arabs and Muslims named in the media are negative. There are many prominent Arabs who could be recognised as positive role models. In an article entitled Demonising Arabs in the Movies? Exploring Islamophobia, Landes (2007) makes the point that Alexander in the film “Syriana” and Omar Sharif in “Lawrence of Arabia” are some examples of these positive Arab characters. There are also many organisations and institutions that work towards ensuring more accurate and positive representation of Arabs and Muslims. Hookers in some areas have represented positive stereotypes about Muslims. The ninety-nine, a new common book series in which the heroes are Muslims as can be seen in the negative representations of Islam and Muslims in the media (2008).

It is now abundantly clear that there is a number of increasing powers in covering, both in the print and the electronic media. It was Cottle (2006) [3] who argues that a powerful position for the media helps to represent group minorities either in positive or negative ways.

At present times, these positive representations are few and far between. It is very clear that much will remain to be done to promote fair representations of Arabs and Muslims. Representing Arabs and Muslims realistically in the media will benefit western societies on how to battle discrimination and racism. It will also increase self esteem and pride of Arabs and Muslims, and will encourage them to have more positive and healthy views of themselves.

---

NOTES

[1] Richardson, J. E. (2001) ‘British Muslims in the Broadsheet Press: A Challenge to Cultural Hegemony?’ Journalism Studies, Vol 2, No 2, 2001. 

[2] Shaheen, J. (2003) Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, Arris Books. 

[3] Cottle, S. (2006). Ethnic minorities and the media: changing cultural boundaries. [Media: ethnic minority’s Ethnic minorities]. Buckingham: Open University Press. [edited by Simon Cottle.]. 

This article first appeared in Morocco World News and is reposted with permission 

Yacine Houhoud Tamsamani is an MA student in philosophy, Arts and Media at Staffordshire University, in the United Kingdom. He holds a BA from Al-Qarawiyyin University, in Fez, Morocco. He is interested in traditional Arabic and Islamic Studies, as well as contemporary Islamic issues (Islam, Muslims, Multiculturalism, Justice, terrorism).

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The Burqa Ban - an update

In a follow-up to our recent story (France to ban burqa) about the move across Europe to ban the full-face Islamic veil, the burqa, from public spaces, there have been some developments, with a clear message coming from the British government. Despite the most recent poll, which showed that 67% of British voters want a burqa ban, the British government says it will not be following France's lead.

Britain's Immigration Minister Damian Green said forbidding women in the UK from wearing certain clothing would be "rather un-British". He said such a law would run contrary to the conventions of a "tolerant and mutually respectful society".

In an interview with the Telegraph newspaper, he said it would be "undesirable" for Westminster to vote on a burka ban, and that there was no prospect of the coalition government proposing such a bill. But his comments will upset some in the British community.

Meanwhile, though wearing of the burqa is not forbidden in Morocco or other moderate Muslim countries, there are some surprising moves. Of particular interest is Syria, where around 1200 teachers who wear burqas have been moved out of the classrooms and given other jobs that do not bring them into contact with students.

Full-face veils, or niqabs, symbolise a conservatism that, many moderate Muslims and minority groups here say, is not in keeping with local tradition.

Most of Syria’s Muslim women wear open-faced headscarves – frequently white – a stark contrast from the all-enveloping black niqab. But the niqab has become increasingly common, particularly in the northern city of Aleppo, fuelling concerns that ultra-conservative interpretations of Islam are spreading.

Now the ban has been extended. According to news reports "Minister of Higher Education, Ghyath Barakat, has given his directives that women wearing niqab would not be allowed to enter the Syrian universities,"

"The Minister has totally rejected this phenomena which contradicts with the academic values and traditional morals and ethics of the Syrian society," one source told CBS News, on condition his name would not be used.

"We will not leave our daughters a prey for extremist thoughts. The Syrians have always shown through history their awareness, understanding and the ability for confronting those bad habits," the source quoted Barakat, the Syrian Minister, as telling his top assistants.

The ban, which was not made public in state-run media, does not affect the hijab, or headscarf, which is favored by the vast majority of veiled Syrian women.

(Photo credit: Louai Beshara)

According to commentators, the partial ban on burqas in Syria may be a sign that the authorities are trying to reign in hardline Islamic sentiments.

The first clear sign of renewed government action against hardline sentiments came at the end of 2008, when tight new regulations were imposed on private Islamic schools. Those measures were introduced after a deadly bombing in Damascus was traced to a private Islamic institute in the city, one described by a former student as a haven of extremist doctrine.

France votes to ban the burqa

An Islamophobic pro-ban poster

The French decision to ban the burqa in public places has raised a heated debate far beyond Frances's frontiers. On one hand there are the civil libertarians who claim that liberté, égalité and fraternité no longer describes the country, while others (around 70% of the population) support the ban. This may well be a sign of things to come in other European countries. According to recent polls, 71% of Germans support a ban, 62% in the UK and 59% in Spain.

Back in April, when the Belgian Lower House voted overwhelmingly to ban the burqa, the law’s author, Daniel Bacquelaine, a Liberal, said a burqa is incompatible with basic security as everyone in public must be recognizable and clashes with the principles of an emancipated society that respects the rights of all.

In Belgium, local rules ban the burqa, but enforcement is spotty and the new law would outlaw it on a national level. Last year, the city of Brussels fined only 29 women - down from 33 in 2008 - for wearing a burqa—type dress.

In January, Denmark’s centre-right government called the burqa and the niqab out of step with Danish values. It held off on a ban after finding that only two or three women in Denmark, a nation of 5.5 million people, wear burqas and perhaps 200 wear niqabs.

French Values?

According to one French lawmaker who supported the law, it is a way to assert French values and help to better integrate Muslim communities into the national way of life.

She said being forced to wear the niqab or the burqa "amounts to being cut off from society and rejecting the very spirit of the French republic that is founded on a desire to live together. At a time where our societies are becoming more global and complex, the French people are pondering the future of their nation. Our responsibility is to show vigilance and reaffirm our commonly-shared values".

And the view from the street? "If a motorbike rider has to take his or her helmet off to enter a bank, then the same should hold for the burqa".

Researchers point out that while there are only 5 million or so Muslims living in France, only 1,900 are thought to have adopted the full burqa. Head scarves are far more common. However, another view suggests that as so few women among the French Muslim community, the new law is xenophobic and pandering to the far-right anti-immigrant vote. It is certainly a distraction from the economic problems besetting the country.

Tourists Targeted

The law, if passed by the upper house, as expected, will also apply to tourists visiting the country. One can expect a drop off of Saudi visitors. On the other hand, a travel agent told The View from Fez that a majority of Muslim female tourists swap their traditional clothes for Paris chic at the "drop of a burqa".

The Nekkaz Ploy

The French Government may find the law hard to enforce. Police have already expressed disquiet, saying the social implications of attempting to fine women in public could be problematic. And to add oil to the simmering fire, a French businessman, Rachid Nekkaz, is offering to pay the fines imposed on women who do not comply. It is a brave stance, and serves as a warning to governments that think they can punish people into social conformity. It is an intriguing 21st-century take on civil disobedience; in this case, he is encouraging people to flout the law with the promise that they won’t pay a price. Dissidents have found patrons before, but it is novel that an entire class of possible offenders, thanks to generous donors, may escape a law’s penalties. Mr. Nekkaz is essentially underwriting civil disobedience.

Mr. Nekkaz accepts the bill’s ban on the full-length burka and face-covering niqab in publicly run buildings; it’s the prospect of forbidding it on public streets that riles him: “a violation of constitutional principles,” he calls it. Mr. Nekkaz and his wife have put up €200,000 for the project, and he hopes to raise €800,000 more.

In a recent FT Harris Poll, when respondents were asked if they would support the burka ban if it were accompanied by a clampdown on wearing all religious icons such as the Christian crucifix and the Jewish cappel, only 22 per cent of French people said they supported such a move. In Britain, just 9 per cent of people said they would back such a move.

While the majority of French citizens feel burka is abhorrent and can trap a woman in a virtual prison. Banning it everywhere, however, will do little to emancipate women, and could force more of them into seclusion.

The View from Fez welcomes your comments on this issue.

The minaret ban ~ Switzerland's shame.

A sight you won't see in Switzerland - a new minaret.

The action of the far right Swiss People's Party (SVP) to call for a ban on the building of minarets in Switzerland was not originally seen as anything but a rather foolish attempt to cash in on Islamaphobia. Few commentators gave it much chance of getting support. But now Switzerland has seen more than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons vote in favour of the ban. The official government position was that it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

The result of the referendum has created a major problem for the country. For the first time the campaign by the SVP has resulted in a rise in hate crimes against Muslims and even attacks on mosques. Martin Baltisser, the SVP's general secretary, says: "This was a vote against minarets as symbols of Islamic power."

The Islamaphopobic campaign poster

Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said: "Concerns about Islamic fundamentalism have to be taken seriously. However, a ban on the construction of new minarets is not a feasible means of countering extremist tendencies." She was quick to reassure Swiss Muslims, saying the decision was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture".

Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims. This represents just 5% of the population and comprises many people of Balkan origin, most of whom are not mosque attendees. Though there are many prayer rooms in the country, Switzerland has just four minarets.

Harmony? A Swiss minaret and a steeple.

"The most painful thing for us is not the ban on minarets but the symbol sent by this vote. "Muslims do not feel accepted as a religious community." - Farhad Afshar, president of the Coordination of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland

A Syrian-style minaret in Tangier

In the aftermath of the referendum, Switzerland has been criticised from within and without. A demonstration outside parliament, had people placing candles in front of a model of a minaret and making another minaret shape out of the candles themselves. They held up signs saying, "That is not my Switzerland,". "We're sorry," said another sign. A young woman pinned to her jacket a piece of paper saying, "Swiss passport for sale."

A beautiful minaret in Chefchaouen

The SVP campaigned unsuccessfully in previous years against immigrants with campaign posters showing white sheep kicking a black sheep off the Swiss flag and another with brown hands grabbing eagerly for Swiss passports. But their success now is a dangerous sign of the fear of migrants and Islam in Europe. Sadly for Switzerland the result will damage investment, business and the image of the country abroad. It will also increase tension within the various communities. Geneva's main mosque was vandalized last Thursday when someone threw a pot of pink paint at the entrance. Earlier this month, a vehicle with a loudspeaker drove through the area imitating a muezzin's call to prayer, and vandals damaged a mosaic when they threw cobblestones at the building.

A typical Moroccan minaret

Sunday's surprise result also prompted anger and dismay from the Vatican to Iran and Egypt. In France, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was quick to react: "I am a bit shocked by this decision," Mr Kouchner told France's RTL radio on Monday. "It is an expression of intolerance and I detest intolerance.I hope the Swiss will reverse this decision quickly."

Sadly that does not seem likely.

Travel Writing about Morocco #28

Racism alive and well in Aspen.

This edition of our occasional series on travel writing comes to us courtesy of a regular reader who forwarded an extraordinary piece from The Aspen Times. Our reader was somewhat shocked by the article and would like to know what other readers think. Not only is the tone of the piece Islamophobic, but it is also confused and badly written. This is surprising, because the author, Andy Stone, is former editor of The Aspen Times.

Stone sets the scene and tone with this introduction...

We were on a flight from Paris to Rome perhaps five years ago and there was a Muslim family sitting across the aisle from us: a man, a woman and their daughter.
All three were in what might be considered traditional Islamic dress. The man wore a skull cap and a robe. He had a full beard. The two women were heavily and completely veiled. As we began to taxi toward take-off, all three, folded their hands, put their heads down and began to pray. With 9-11 not all that far in the past, my wife and I became distinctly uneasy. Muslims! On our plane! Praying as we took off! Who wouldn’t be concerned?

Well ... pretty much everybody else on the plane, as a matter of fact. No one else seemed to even notice. We were, after all, flying out of Paris, where Muslim immigration has been going on for decades — and although some people consider that a bad thing, no one is surprised to find Muslims on their flight out of Paris. And the family next to us certainly didn’t cause any problems. They were most likely just nervous fliers, for whom prayer on take-off was comforting. But to us they were most certainly “other.” They were alien, they were a little scary. They were unknown. I mention all this because we have just returned from nearly a month in two seriously Muslim countries: Tunisia and Morocco. These are two of the most moderate Islamic countries and the people we encountered were often quite warm and friendly — and, at worst, cool and indifferent.

But , let's turn to Morocco, where the men in djellabas seemed something of a threat....

Their presence and appearance made us uneasy because we sensed them as an intrusion — a potentially dangerous intrusion — in our world. But now we were surrounded by hundreds and sometimes literally thousands — such as in the grand square of Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech — of men any one of whom on the streets of Aspen would have had us calling Homeland Security. But now we were in their world. And it was our alien appearance that sparked a reaction. As I said, the reactions were almost always benign. Although in the Djemaa el Fna the reaction was mostly a demand for money from the “snake charmers” (who carried around semi-conscious, de-fanged snakes to drape over tourist’s shoulders, no “charming” involved). But those positive-to-indifferent reactions helped drive home the point: This was their world and they didn’t really care one way or the other about us.

And then Stone turns his withering glance on Fez where, apart from having a confusing "Tunisian moment, Stone was oblivious to ... well, it seems, most things...

Fez — the edgiest, most nearly hostile place we visited — there was no tourist industry in this little city. When we walked the streets, we were the only non-Tunisians in sight. There was, in a sense, no room for us in the city. There was nothing that even remotely catered to tourists — except, perhaps, the cash machine at the local bank, which offered instructions in French as well as Arabic. A few people certainly did glance at us as we walked the streets in that town. We were most definitely objects of curiosity when we went into a café for coffee and mint tea. The two women in our group were the only female customers in the place and the crowd of men, almost all in their late 20s or early 30s, unquestionably did notice. One glanced up from his water pipe to give my wife the once-over.

The phrase that sticks out is "There was nothing that even remotely catered to tourists" - with observational talents like this, Mr Stone would have been better to stay at home.

There's nothing for you here? Tourists dancing at a concert in Fez.
(photo: Sandy McCutcheon)

You will find more travel writing stories here: Travel Writing Index


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

"Lose the burka or lose the dole" - Dutch Alderman.

When a Dutch Alderman on the Amsterdam Council makes the suggestion that women who wear the burka women should lose unemployment benefit, we might well be outraged. On the other hand we might just put it down to the rising tide of Islamophobia in the Netherlands ,as we reported recently when commenting on the so-called "Civic Integration Test". The test, the first of its kind in the world and part of a broader policy on immigration, came into effect last month and includes the compulsary viewing of a film with scenes featuring gay men kissing and a topless sunbathing woman. See our earlier story here: Islamophobia Netherlands Style).

More astonishing is the discovery that Amsterdam's Social Affairs Alderman is not some redneck rightwing racist, but a left wing Moroccan.



Alderman Ahmed Aboutaleb, who was born in Beni Sidel in Morocco in 1961, claims that women who choose to wear the face-covering garment are hindering their ability to get work. Therefore they should not be automatically eligible for welfare payments.

A member of Amsterdam's Labour Party , Aboutaleb said he did not object to the burka on principle, but that the government had a right to expect citizens take responsibility. "Nobody wants a an employee in a burka. In that case, I say: off with the burka and apply for work. If you don't want to do that, that's fine, but then you don't get a benefit payment".

He was responding to the example of a ruling by the Equality Commission that backed a Muslim woman who refused to shake hands with men while working in education.

Aboutaleb questioned whether such a woman was in the right line of work. "She has to realise her behaviour is building enormous obstacles for her in almost every situation. This woman must recognise that she is sidelining herself and that she runs the risk of being turned down for a job more often".

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Islamophobia - Netherlands style.

Aljazeera have a revealing article about the new entrance test for would-be immigrants to the Netherlands. But not all Dutch citizens agree with it and have condemned it as not only Islamophobic but also detrimental to the economy. The link to the Aljazeera article follows this post.

The "civic integration" test - the first of its kind in the world and part of a broader policy on immigration - came into effect last month.

It includes the compulsary viewing of a film with scenes featuring gay men kissing and a topless sunbathing woman.

Critics say the film, which forms part of a study pack, is designed to discourage applicants from Muslim countries who may be offended by its content.

Arzu Merali, spokeswoman for the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, says the move indicates that Muslims are not welcome.

"Sadly the Dutch authorities are now openly exhibiting the type of Islamophobia that sends a very clear message to wider society.

"Muslims are not only unwelcome ... but those that are already there do not conform to a uniform idea of what should be a citizen."

But, Maud Bredero, spokeswoman for the Dutch Ministry of Justice for Integration Policy, denies such a notion. "No, this is, of course, not the case," she told Aljazeera.net.

"Everyone is welcome."

Some 54% of all non-Western foreigners living in the Netherlands are Muslim, with 95% of them originating from Turkey, Africa, Latin America and Asia, according to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

The controversial film has been made available at 138 Dutch embassies in the Middle East and Asia.

Adding to concerns that the test is not friendly towards Muslims, is the fact those seeking entrance from other EU countries, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan do not have to take the test.

The full Aljazeera article: Dutch Immigration Test in Dispute


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb Netherlands

"Move away from the bomber"

According to a new study of perceptions of Islam,the portrayal of Arab and Muslim people in the Western media is "typically stereotypical and negative". The study, commissioned by the Kuwaiti government, claims that terrorism, anti-Americanism and the Iraq occupation dominate TV news coverage of the Middle East.

And while stereotypes in print media are not usually "so obvious, except in cartoon caricatures," anti-Muslim bias is "more insidious," says the study. "The terms Islamic or Muslim are linked to extremism, militant, jihads, as if they belonged together inextricably and naturally (Muslim extremist, Islamic terror, Islamic war, Muslim time bomb)."

And this is worldwide. Below is an story from an Australian newspaper. I should say that while I think the story is sympathetic, the newspaper front page is guilty of exploiting the very fears that the story argues against. When will they ever learn?



How it feels to be an outsider
By LOUISE PEMBLE

13 Nov 2005

TO walk around Perth dressed as a Muslim is to be treated as an outsider in your own town.

In a week of allegations that Muslims were plotting a terrorist attack in Australia, I donned full Islamic garb and walked through the city to gauge public reaction.
Would people see me as a harmless shopper, or would they suspect I was hiding a bomb under my clothes? My mission was to test tolerance towards Muslims by dressing as one for the day.

I had the full support of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, whose president, Ameer Ali, viewed it as a chance to highlight some of the issues faced by Australia's Muslims. I visited shops and cafes in Forrest Chase, Northbridge and Hay St Mall, before catching a bus and train.I was surprised at how accepting younger people were, suggesting that Perth may be able to shrug off racism.

But I wasn't prepared for the hostility from older Australians. The first cheap shot came from an elderly woman walking through Forrest Chase. "Stupid woman," she hissed at her mate as they passed me.

Later, as I was waiting at the crosswalk outside Perth railway station, a woman in her 60s saw me standing beside her and said to her companion: "Move away from the bomber."

With the help of Perth's Muslim community, I was fitted in black trousers, a long black dress called an abya, a headscarf (hijab) and a facepiece (niqab).

My eyes were the only visible part of my body. I chose the facepiece because I wanted to test its impact on others, but my Muslim adviser told me it was up to individuals to decide whether they wore just a headscarf or covered their entire face. My senses were on high alert the minute I stepped out of The Sunday Times building.

Most people did a double take on seeing me and then either gave me a hostile stare or – in the case of several young women – smiled encouragingly. It soon became obvious that many people thought I was dressed this way as an act of defiance. In their view, I was snubbing my nose at the anti-Muslim feeling said to be running high in the Australian community.

I had heard of Muslim women being spat at and abused. One woman even had her headscarf torn from her head at Carousel Shopping Centre.

In the morning, I was accompanied by a Muslim woman wearing the headscarf, but not the facepiece that I wore. In our two hours of walking around the city we were twice subjected to vilification.

"Imagine how this must affect you if it happened every time you left your house," she said.

It was then I realised how much we take for granted our right to feel safe in our own community and how people take only seconds to decide if you are friend or enemy.

But for every snide remark and hostile stare, I was surprised by the extra respect I was shown by young men and women. Every shopkeeper I approached was much more polite than I had experienced when dressed in my usual clothes. And on a train, where I feared I might be regarded as a suicide bomber, I was twice offered a seat. It was a similar story on a bus, which was standing-room only. By this stage I had removed the niqab so that my face was showing – but nothing else. This seemed to ease some of the tension I had sensed earlier in the day.

Back at the office, workmates asked me how uncomfortable I had been walking around Perth in my Muslim clothes. The icy stares on the street had forced me for the first time in my life to be wary of anyone who came near me. Of all the garments I wore, the facepiece caused the most discomfort. With it positioned just under my eyes, I found it difficult to look straight down. It also made drinking a juice in a city cafe a challenge.

On the plus side, I found being hidden under all those garments surprisingly liberating. For the first time I was able to walk down the street without the usual scrutiny of my figure, face and hair.

On the downside, dressing as a Muslim woman showed me how it feels to leave home every day unsure of your own safety.

Tags: Morocco, Media, Jihad, Terrorism,