Blog For Free!
Archives
Home
2008 July
2008 June
2008 May
2008 April
2008 March
2008 February
2008 January
2007 December
2007 November
2007 October
2007 September
2007 July
2007 June
2007 May
2007 April
2007 March
2007 February
2007 January
2006 December
2006 November
2006 October
2006 September
2006 August
2006 July
2006 June
2006 May
2006 April
2006 March
2006 February
2006 January
2005 December
2005 November
2005 October
2005 August
2005 July
2005 June
2005 May
2005 April
2005 March
2005 January
2004 December
2004 November
2004 October
2004 September
2004 August
2004 July
My Links
Global Warming: A Chilling Perspective
Watts Up With That?
Internet Haganah
Jihad Watch
Ponder the Maunder
The Dissident Frogman
Barking-Moonbat EWS
Just Barking Mad!
The Malaria Clock
Project Valour-IT
Islam: Turning everything it touches to Shi'ite since 632 AD...
10 Myths of Islam
tBlog
My Profile
Send tMail
My tFriends
My Images
Sponsored
Blog
| 2004 Year of Islam in FRANCE |
| 12.27.04 (12:23 pm) [edit] |
|
By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent PARIS, December 26 (IslamOnline.net) – A perusal of the annals of 2004 in France makes it indeed the “year of Islam” with all its pluses and minuses for the sizable Muslim community. Topping the pluses are the conversion of a record 50,000 people to Islam, according to an Interior Ministry census, and big sales of books about Islam. Several TV programs on Islam and Muslims also proved to be a must-see and received due attention from the French. On the political landscape, two French citizens of North African origin cruised their way into the Senate. Alima Boumediene Thiery of the Greens Party and Bariza Khiari of the Socialist Party made big gains in the September 26 elections, securing their seats in the upper house of French parliament. Other success stories of Muslims in France include the one of top Comedian Jamel Debbouze, who is indeed a shining example of Muslims’ positive integration into French society. “I’m proud of being Muslim. I fast the holy month of Ramadan, never drink alcohol and do not smoke. I never thought about doing drugs,” Debbouze always repeats on TV interviews. The Muslim achievements in 2004 were crowned by the release of two French journalists who were held hostage in Iraq. French media thanked the country’s Muslim community in helping bring a smile to French faces a few days before Christmas. Leading newspapers also highlighted the pivotal role played by the leaders of the community to facilitate the release of Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot. They thanked in particular Lhaj Thami Breze, the president of the Union of French Islamic Organizations (UOIF), and Dalil Boubakeur, chairman of the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM), for their September visit to Iraq and their heartfelt feelings for their fellow citizens. Hijab Nonetheless, the year 2004 had some bad news of the sizable Muslim community, estimated at around 6 million. Hijab was indeed the thorniest issue that set off seismic waves in the country, especially after a bill banning the veil and religious insignia in state schools went into effect in September. The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and the opposition Socialist Party (PS) joined forces and got the measure enacted. After it came into fruition at the beginning of the new school year in September, some 40 hijab-donned students were kicked out of state schools. One of the schoolgirls shaved her head to protest the ban on hijab, which is considered in Islam as obligatory and not a mere religious symbol. Cennet Doganay, 15, took off her hijab as she was entering the Louis Pasteur Lycee high school in Strasbourg, eastern France, only to reveal a bald head. The French measure triggered shock waves across the world, especially in Arab and Muslim countries, and was dismissed by the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) as “discriminatory.” Former French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who took over last month the leadership of the UMP, has long opposed the law, warning it would provoke a backlash among Muslims, who would view it as an “insult and punishment”. Sarkozy further suggested a bandana as a possible alternative to hijab. See ya later, suckers... Via: Islam-Online.net |
posted by: newbie (reply)
post date: 12.27.04 (3:48 pm)
lets bomb those Frenchies now before the whole country goes Islamic and sends hordes of suicide bombers into New York and Chicago
posted by: DianneMaire (reply)
post date: 12.28.04 (2:35 am)
Since you have such an interest in Muslims in France you will of course, find this article interesting.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4124239.stm
posted by: Lee (reply)
post date: 03.26.06 (5:09 pm)
Gotcha real nice blog, great reading for your visitors.
