Thursday, December 18, 2003
It's weird. I don't like religion, I believe it to have caused more pain and suffering in the history of humanity than anything else, and I'll be happy when the last mosque/temple/church/synagogue is torn down to build playing areas for children. BUT, I'm deeply uneasy about this French ban on 'conspicuous religious images', possibly because it penalises Muslims and Jews more than other parts of society. If you can tuck your cross inside your clothes then you're all right. I presume that cardinals and churchmen won't be prevented from wearing their religious clothes in public, or monks or nuns, so why Muslim women are being penalised seems unfair. And what about Sikhs? Are those turbans too ostentatious? I suspect that the authorities will have a battle on their hands getting people to accept this.
