He
supported the Dutch prime minister's attacks on filmmaker
Geert Wilders, said
that Islam is "one of the greatest and most beautiful
civilisations the world has known," angered the socialist
opposition by praising the Saudi leadership who, apparently,
"appeal to the basic values of Islam to combat the fundamentalism
that negates them," and
long-ago created the French Council of Muslim Faith "to
represent French Muslims in parliament."
But French President Nicolas Sarkozy has also railed against the burka (a style of dress "not welcome" in France) and offered full-throated support for the controversial ban on the wearing of headscarves in public schools. Now he has weighed in on the Swiss minaret vote, telling his fellow citizens they should attempt to "understand" the decision of voters, and advised Muslims in France to be "discreet" about practicing their faith. From the (London) Times:
Over the past week, Mr Sarkozy had appeared to retreat from his original comments following a backlash over the way that they were being used against immigrants, particularly Muslims.
But in a column for Le Monde, Mr Sarkozy returned to his theme and said that the result of the Swiss referendum showed how important it was for France to define its identity.
"Instead of condemning the Swiss out of hand, we should try to understand what they meant to express and what so many people in Europe feel, including people in France," he wrote. "Nothing would be worse than denial."
Mr Sarkozy called for tolerance and underlined France's respect for all faiths, but his message was intended primarily to reassure those who are unhappy about what they see as a threatening Muslim presence in the country.
"Christians, Jews, Muslims, all believers regardless of their faith, must refrain from ostentation and provocation and ... practice their religion in humble discretion," Mr Sarkozy wrote.
Addressing himself to Muslims, he wrote that anything that could appear as a challenge to France's Christian heritage and republican values would "doom to failure" a moderate Islam in France.
I blogged about the Swiss minaret ban here.
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|12.8.09 @ 5:38PM|#
"Instead of condemning the Swiss out of hand, we should try to understand what they meant to express and what so many people in Europe feel, including people in France," he wrote. "Nothing would be worse than denial."
Expressing how you feel by passing a law that restricts the freedom of others is way worse than denial, you pierogie-eating surrender monkey.
|12.8.09 @ 7:47PM|#
+1 Insightful
|12.8.09 @ 8:05PM|#
I'd give +1 just for "surrender monkey".
|12.8.09 @ 5:44PM|#
Foxy
¢|12.8.09 @ 5:47PM|#
Missing French-identity-defining alt tag: "No Jews in here!"
|12.8.09 @ 5:56PM|#
Oh how I love small, French tits!
Old Mexican|12.8.09 @ 6:07PM|#
But . . . She's not REALLY French . . .
Is she??
|12.8.09 @ 6:38PM|#
Isn't she Italian?
Kyle Jordan|12.9.09 @ 1:11AM|#
I don't care what she is. I'd break my dick off in them three fun holes.
The Expatriate|12.8.09 @ 7:17PM|#
Homo.
The Libertarian Guy|12.8.09 @ 5:59PM|#
Why would anyone attack Geert Wilders?
And here I thought Sarkozy wasn't so bad after all. What a schmuck.
affenkopf|12.9.09 @ 3:54AM|#
Because Wilders wants to ban the Koran? Not very libertarian at all.
Urkobold™|12.8.09 @ 6:07PM|#
ARE TINY BOSOMS THE RESULT OF SOCIALIZED MEDICINE? ONE HEARS LITTLE OF THAT IN THE SO-CALLED HEALTHCARE REFORM DEBATES.
DE-BATES. HMM.
|12.8.09 @ 8:29PM|#
Pamela Anderson was Canadian.
|12.8.09 @ 8:59PM|#
Pamela Anderson' tits were fake. Probably made in China.
Jove|12.8.09 @ 6:28PM|#
"Christians, Jews, Muslims, all believers regardless of their faith, must refrain from ostentation and provocation and ... practice their religion in humble discretion"
NO, by Thunder, NO!
Feathered Sosia|12.8.09 @ 8:55PM|#
And if I lie, may the wrath of Mercury fall upon Sosia!
2999|12.8.09 @ 6:41PM|#
Voters must refrain from religious persecution and provocation and practice their retardation only in private sector.
FTFY Sarko.
M. Hulot|12.8.09 @ 7:04PM|#
Le belli e smoothe et tighte, parfait pour le position de bottome de mois!
|12.8.09 @ 7:09PM|#
Pols (e.g. Sarko) say what they think...............will be popular.
Pols live in a bubble, talking only to other pols.
Therefor they frequently find that the public thinks something else.
Pols want to sound perfect.
Pols therefor never admit a mistake, especially when their mistake was in saying something they didn't believe in order to impress people- and failing.
So they lie.
|12.8.09 @ 7:33PM|#
Yup, Sarko's sure the model of the better part of valor.
|12.8.09 @ 9:30PM|#
I want to be the Sarko that gropes Carla Bruni.
|12.8.09 @ 10:15PM|#
That man is way over his board.
robc|12.8.09 @ 11:08PM|#
What would Charles Martel do?