Waving the French flag, or wearing the Tricolor as a head scarf, thousands of Muslim women marched through Paris on Saturday -- the center of a worldwide protest against France's plan to ban head scarves from public schools.
Police said up to 10,000 people took part in the peaceful Paris march, while several thousand others protested in a half-dozen cities around France.
From Baghdad to Beirut to London and Stockholm, nearly as many Muslim women as men marched to condemn the law as an attack on religious freedom. Even in the West Bank city of Nablus and in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, women mobilized to show solidarity with French Muslims.
"Where is France? Where is tolerance?" the crowd chanted during the four-hour march through the French capital.
"The veil is my choice," a group of women chanted.
Protesters, from small girls to women, formed a sea of color in fanciful scarves of all sizes. Bearded men, some in long robes, also joined in the Paris march. A small group at one point set out a prayer mat and prayed.
"Faith is not conspicuous," said one of hundreds of banners held aloft.
A bill to go before French lawmakers next month forbids "conspicuous" religious signs, from Islamic head scarves to Jewish skull caps and large Christian crosses, in public schools. Easy passage is expected and the law is to become applicable with the new school year in September.
French President Jacques Chirac says the aim is to protect the principle of secularism that anchors life in France. However, it also is seen as a way to hold back the swell of Islamic fundamentalism in France's Muslim community -- the largest in Western Europe at an estimated 5 million.
Protesters pleaded otherwise. "Neither Fundamentalist nor Terrorist but Peaceful Citizen," read one sign.
Critics of the law claim it will stigmatize France's Muslims who have yet to become fully integrated into the social fabric. French authorities contend the principle of secularism is meant to make everybody equal.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS