Not so veil as Muslim Frenchman sparks row
Source: Agencies |
April 27, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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A MUSLIM Frenchman at the center of a firestorm over polygamy said yesterday that keeping mistresses is the French way of life.
The man's case came to light after his wife was fined for driving with a veil covering her face, and his comments are an ironic riposte to those in French President Nicolas Sarkozy's government who want to ban such veils and push immigrants to better integrate into French society.
A 31-year-old, fully veiled Frenchwoman drew nationwide attention last week to a driving fine she received for apparel that hinders her vision. But it soon emerged that her husband may have four wives.
The situation appeared to be a boon to Sarkozy, who is trying to rush through controversial legislation forbidding burqa-style Islamic veils that cover the face, on the grounds that they don't respect French values or women's dignity. But it has stoked debate over the planned legislation and now might backfire on legal grounds - becoming a political boondoggle.
Many Muslims fear a law banning face-covering veils because they say targeting the tiny minority of women who cover their faces stigmatizes France's entire Muslim community - at an estimated 5 million people, the largest in western Europe.
Those who want a full ban on the face-covering veil contend the garment conceals more than the face, notably practices like polygamy, and is a signpost of a radical interpretation of Islam.
Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux wants to revoke the French citizenship of the driver's husband if he is found to be practicing polygamy. The man is also suspected of profiting from state subsidies for single women provided to each of the wives.
The man, Algerian-born Lies Hebbadj, defended his lifestyle yesterday by turning the notion of polygamy on its head. "If we are stripped of nationality, for having mistresses," Hebbadj told reporters in Nantes, then "there would be a lot of French people stripped of nationality. As far as I know, mistresses are not forbidden, neither in France, nor in Islam."
He did not specify whether he lives under the same roof with the various women in his life, although press reports have quoted neighbors as saying he moves between several houses.
The man's case came to light after his wife was fined for driving with a veil covering her face, and his comments are an ironic riposte to those in French President Nicolas Sarkozy's government who want to ban such veils and push immigrants to better integrate into French society.
A 31-year-old, fully veiled Frenchwoman drew nationwide attention last week to a driving fine she received for apparel that hinders her vision. But it soon emerged that her husband may have four wives.
The situation appeared to be a boon to Sarkozy, who is trying to rush through controversial legislation forbidding burqa-style Islamic veils that cover the face, on the grounds that they don't respect French values or women's dignity. But it has stoked debate over the planned legislation and now might backfire on legal grounds - becoming a political boondoggle.
Many Muslims fear a law banning face-covering veils because they say targeting the tiny minority of women who cover their faces stigmatizes France's entire Muslim community - at an estimated 5 million people, the largest in western Europe.
Those who want a full ban on the face-covering veil contend the garment conceals more than the face, notably practices like polygamy, and is a signpost of a radical interpretation of Islam.
Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux wants to revoke the French citizenship of the driver's husband if he is found to be practicing polygamy. The man is also suspected of profiting from state subsidies for single women provided to each of the wives.
The man, Algerian-born Lies Hebbadj, defended his lifestyle yesterday by turning the notion of polygamy on its head. "If we are stripped of nationality, for having mistresses," Hebbadj told reporters in Nantes, then "there would be a lot of French people stripped of nationality. As far as I know, mistresses are not forbidden, neither in France, nor in Islam."
He did not specify whether he lives under the same roof with the various women in his life, although press reports have quoted neighbors as saying he moves between several houses.
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