Yesterday, the French lower house became the latest European body to strike out against the Islamization of the West by voting 336-1 to ban all burqa-like veils. According to the legislation, women who violate the law could face a €150 fine and perhaps even be forced to take a citizenship course and, even better, a man caught forcing a woman to wear a veil will be fined €30,000 and sentenced to one year in jail.
Interestingly enough, most members of the Socialist Party (the largest party in the lower house) refused to take part in the vote. However, this was not due in any way to an opposition to a ban on the burqa, but rather because they disagreed with some of the language in the legislation. In order to be implemented, the bill must still be passed by the Senate (an outcome which is likely).
The main sticking point for the legislation, though, is that it could be deemed unconstitutional by the courts. We’ll have to what and see on that count. For the time, however, it is a significant victory for the West. France has the largest number of Muslims in Europe, approximately 5 million.
This comes just three weeks after the Spanish senate passed legislation which also bans the burqa. Although the vote was much narrower than in France (131 to 129), it was still a win, as the legislature revolted against the socialist Prime Minister Zapatero, who thinks that the Islamization question can be fixed through education. Though perhaps not as reactionary as Belgium or France, the Spanish legislation uses the strongest language stating they will: "use all options available under our legal system and proceed with rules to prohibit use of the burqa and niqab to ensure equality, freedom and security."
The movement to ban the burqa is picking up popularity at lightening pace. Already this year Belgium moved to ban the burqa, and now the Netherlands, Italy and Austria are considering following suite and in the United Kingdom, Conservative MP Philip Hollobone is standing up in parliament calling for a ban on the burqa. Hollobone was investigated by police a month after he said in parliament that wearing a burkha was like “going round with a paper bag over your head.”
As the momentum picks up for the patriots of Europe, we can begin to expect great resistance from the European Union’s human rights courts, who have already issued warnings against European states who take the actions similar to Belgium, France and Spain.
The momentum is shifting away from the jihadists and back to the nationalists in Europe. America must follow the example of Europe and begin taking strides to prevent the Islamization of these United States. Though burqa bans are only a baby step toward healing our cultural malaise, they are a step in the right direction – a direction which will hopefully continue to be pursued.
