Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on April 20, 2018, 04:13:05 PM

Title: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Nearly Sane on April 20, 2018, 04:13:05 PM

Personally who I touch is my business.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-europe-43839655
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Robbie on April 20, 2018, 04:22:40 PM
Agree.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: trippymonkey on April 21, 2018, 07:47:24 AM
Yes but this is the thin edge of the wedge....
What else will she NOT do cos of a religion that considers itself vastly superior to ALL others ?!??!!?

Nick
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Udayana on April 21, 2018, 09:48:01 AM
Doesn't really seem like the "thin edge of a wedge". What kind of things are you thinking of?
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Nearly Sane on April 21, 2018, 10:01:51 AM
Yes but this is the thin edge of the wedge....
What else will she NOT do cos of a religion that considers itself vastly superior to ALL others ?!??!!?

Nick
Slippery slope fallacy. Why should she have to do something that if she was germophobic she would be allowed not to do. She should have the same rights as everyone else.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Nearly Sane on April 21, 2018, 10:26:46 AM
Predictive text changed homophobic in my previous post to homophobic which has triggered the thought that I wonder what would happen if someone at the French citizenship ceremony refused to shake hands with an official because they were gay.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Udayana on April 21, 2018, 11:22:40 AM
Probably ... would depend on whether the applicant were Muslim or not?
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Robbie on April 21, 2018, 01:10:57 PM
Yes but this is the thin edge of the wedge....
What else will she NOT do cos of a religion that considers itself vastly superior to ALL others ?!??!!?

Nick

How predictable, there only has to be a whiff of 'Islam' or 'Muslim' in a thread title & you pounce with your excessive tabloid headline punctuation.

There are plenty of things people will not do because of their beliefs - all sorts of beliefs - & are not forced to do them. Orthodox Jews also do not shake hands with opposite sex, some wear a particular type of dress, do you object to any of that too?

I wouldn't dream of taking it for granted that someone wants to shake hands & can greet & receive greetings courteously without touching them.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: trippymonkey on April 22, 2018, 07:23:38 AM
Fine but why is a MUSLIM woman being used in this issue ?!?!?
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Harrowby Hall on April 22, 2018, 08:04:04 AM
Fine but why is a MUSLIM woman being used in this issue ?!?!?

Is it not because France, as a secular country, puts its secularity and secular values above religious practices - or above practices which appear to be influenced by religion?

The basic principles of the French republic - égalité, fraternité et liberté - are each challenged by her action. The official and the subsequent court felt that they witness behaviour which denies the basic values of French life.

(... And before Vlad succumbs to the Pavlovian reactions he suffers when "secular" is mentioned - most of the churches in France are the property of the French state.)
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Sriram on April 22, 2018, 08:33:51 AM



If they are truly secular...the French should respect the woman's right not to shake hands.  Why is shaking hands a fundamental requirement for French citizenship anyway? Touching someone is ones own choice.  You can't force it.   

I hate shaking hands too (like many Hindus)....preferring a polite folding of hands  in 'namaste'.  We don't know where someones hands have been!   

Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Udayana on April 22, 2018, 08:52:53 AM
Fine but why is a MUSLIM woman being used in this issue ?!?!?

Is it not because France, as a secular country, puts its secularity and secular values above religious practices - or above practices which appear to be influenced by religion?

The basic principles of the French republic - égalité, fraternité et liberté - are each challenged by her action. The official and the subsequent court felt that they witness behaviour which denies the basic values of French life.

(... And before Vlad succumbs to the Pavlovian reactions he suffers when "secular" is mentioned - most of the churches in France are the property of the French state.)
No, it is just basic racism. Humiliate anyone that can be seen not to conform.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Udayana on April 22, 2018, 08:56:12 AM
...
I hate shaking hands too (like many Hindus)....preferring a polite folding of hands  in 'namaste'.  We don't know where someones hands have been!

hmm ... we do know.

Always wear gloves and carry a disinfectant spray :)
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Harrowby Hall on April 22, 2018, 08:57:50 AM
No, Sriram, you have misunderstood this situation. It is not that she did not shake hands but the reason she gave for not shaking hands.

France is a country in which shaking hands is de rigeur. It is an important daily ritual.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Harrowby Hall on April 22, 2018, 09:02:45 AM
No, it is just basic racism. Humiliate anyone that can be seen not to conform.

The topic here is religion not racism.

I would agree that France is not as integrated as Britain (for the most part) but it is not a country of institutionalised racism.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: ippy on April 22, 2018, 03:43:43 PM
If I were French I would probably have some sympathy with the French authorities on this one, on taking an over all view, not just the one in front of me, the shaking of hands.

ippy
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Robbie on April 22, 2018, 03:49:02 PM
So someone who wishes not to shake hands has to give a reason for not doing so? I think what Sririam suggested, "Namaste", joining hands with a nod, is perfectly acceptable - and rather charming - as is a big smile and just saying, "Hello". Muslims aren't the only people of religion who don't go around shaking hands, there's no reason for the woman's religion to be highlighted.

Singers and actors don't like to do it and always carry hand sanitiser with them.

I'm happy to shake hands but wait for the other person to make the first move if I don't know them.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: floo on April 22, 2018, 05:29:27 PM
I am happy to shake hands, but objected to being hugged by people I don't know well.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Harrowby Hall on April 22, 2018, 06:00:18 PM
... Muslims aren't the only people of religion who don't go around shaking hands, there's no reason for the woman's religion to be highlighted.


Robbie

From the news item:

Quote
The woman, who has not been named, said her "religious beliefs" prevented her from shaking the hand of the male official in the citizenship ceremony.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Robbie on April 22, 2018, 06:16:30 PM
I know she said that, I read the article but that's no reason for the media to make such a big thing out of it. There are other religions with similar rules.

I'd have thought everyone nowadays knows that Muslims don't go around shaking hands, no big deal, no reason to make more out of a Muslim's etiquette than anyone else's.

Wouldn't happen here.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Harrowby Hall on April 22, 2018, 07:07:15 PM
It isn't "the media" making "a big thing" about it. It is the French state.

Her refusal to shake the official's hand was identified as a reluctance to accept the values of the country for which she was applying for citizenship and led to the refusal of citizenship,

This refusal was was reinforced by a decision in the French courts. Her behaviour indicated that by not shaking hands with a man she did not accept the principle of equality and that she lacked the freedom to behave as she wanted not as her religion demanded.

Quote
It wouldn't happen here.

Exactly. And this, perhaps, highlights a difference between living in a Common Law jursidiction and living in a Legal Code jurisdiction.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Sriram on April 23, 2018, 07:47:23 AM

There was a similar problem some years back about a woman who did not wear a bikini or something.  The French seem to be particularly difficult people to live with!   ::)

Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Harrowby Hall on April 23, 2018, 08:43:35 AM
No, Sriram.

Just a few kilometres along the coast where that incident occurred, a few days earlier a young man had driven a truck into a crowd of holiday-makers killing a large number of them. He did so in the name of Allah.

The maire of the beach resort considered the bhurka-on-the-beach just a step too far. It could have been a suicide bomber.

... And it wasn't some years back. It was 2017.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Robbie on April 23, 2018, 06:32:18 PM
What does that have to do with a woman not wanting to shake hands for a cultural or a religious reason? Are you saying she is likely to commit an act of terrorism? Or are we supposed to be suspicious of anyone of the same religion as terrorists?
Like here - suspicion of those - all - with Irish accents during the 'Troubles'.

Pah! Treat everyone as an individual and respect differences.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: trippymonkey on April 23, 2018, 08:24:58 PM
Yeah Just like Muslims do in accordance with Quranic values ?!?!?!?
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Nearly Sane on April 23, 2018, 08:37:49 PM
Yeah Just like Muslims do in accordance with Quranic values ?!?!?!?
lazy generalisation and a tu quoque.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: trippymonkey on April 23, 2018, 10:05:25 PM
You really DO know sod all about Islam & The Quran, don't you.????
Talk about lazy generalisations ?!?!?! HA HA HA
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Nearly Sane on April 23, 2018, 10:08:21 PM
You really DO know sod all about Islam & The Quran, don't you.????
Talk about lazy generalisations ?!?!?! HA HA HA
Yes, you continue to make them. And you continue with your to quoque.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: trippymonkey on April 24, 2018, 08:16:35 AM
Now I KNOW you're taking the proverbial & will end this BS now.
Go, learn to read & write & THEN make useful comments !???!
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Nearly Sane on April 24, 2018, 08:18:59 AM
Now I KNOW you're taking the proverbial & will end this BS now.
Go, learn to read & write & THEN make useful comments !???!
No, I'm disagreeing with your approach.  You aren't looking at people as people but as a lazy caricature which allows you to treat them as 'other'
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Robbie on April 24, 2018, 09:20:37 AM
Now I KNOW you're taking the proverbial & will end this BS now.
Go, learn to read & write & THEN make useful comments !???!

You're a fine one to talk about reading & writing. I don't know how you have the nerve to say that

Yeah Just like Muslims do in accordance with Quranic values ?!?!?!?

A lot do actually but, as for those who don't - of whom you seem to know quite a lot - I don't intend to be like them.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: Udayana on April 24, 2018, 10:05:33 AM
You're a fine one to talk about reading & writing. I don't know how you have the nerve to say that

A lot do actually but, as for those who don't - of whom you seem to know quite a lot - I don't intend to be like them.
Personally I have little doubt that Trippy does treat people as individuals and respect differences, quite probably also works closely with Muslim musicians.

However there is an effect where, on considering a generalised mass of people, a different kind of thinking pushes in - a them vs us thing - the basis for racism, sectarianism, and general national stereotypes and jingoism.
Title: Re: Muslim woman refused citizenship in France for not shaking hands.
Post by: trippymonkey on April 24, 2018, 03:28:49 PM
Udayana Bhaiya.
A BIG Thanks, Dhanyavad, Shukria & Naandri for your very positive post.
I do have lots  of experience with many musicians of ALL persuasions & we NEVER let religion get in the way of music performing.
Music takes one straight to God whereas religion tends to get IN the way of God.
Pretty sure many will agree with that ?!?!!?
I don't care what religion a person is as long as it doesn't prevent us getting along.

Nick