WORLD BRIEFING / FRANCE
President Nicolas Sarkozy declared that the Islamic burka is not welcome in France, branding the face-covering, body-length gown as a symbol of subservience that suppresses women’s identities and turns them into “prisoners behind a screen.”
But there was a mixed message in the tough words: an admission that the country’s long-held principle of ethnic assimilation -- which insists that newcomers shed their traditions and adapt to French culture -- is failing because it doesn’t give immigrants and their French-born children a fair chance.
In a speech to lawmakers, Sarkozy said the head-to-toe Muslim body coverings were in disaccord with French values.
“The burka is not a religious sign, it’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement,” he said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
