Musings on the International Women's Day

Usually on March 8th, which is the International Women's Day, my thoughts go out to the women who still live under the barbaric medieval laws and are subject to such niceties as being stoned to death for adultery, having acid thrown in their faces for not wearing the veil or for going to school, being barred from many forms of employment, being murdered for so called honour reasons, etc. But this year, my thoughts go out to a man. A very important man. In fact, no less than the President of France himself, one Nicolas Sarkozy. Time and again, he falls victim to a woman's whim and his domestic imbroglios appear on the front pages of la belle France. When Cécilia left and the latest of his ladies, Carla, showed up, the media went so ballistic that he had to remind his countrymen of the laïcité, the secularism, that is the so important trait of the French nation, which boils down to this: what is private, should be left that way, and what is public can be in the public sphere. Being secularist myself, I am with him on this. I am heart and soul for the laïcité. But, back to Monsieur Sarkozy. Once again, a woman's anger is looming over his head, and this time the lady's name is Jeanne.

When Geert Wilders came to Britain last Friday (March 5) and showed his film Fitna at the House of Lords, he caused quite a stir.  Exercising their right to free speech, groups demonstrated outside both for and against his views.  Since he might well have a major role in the next Dutch Government, what he has to say is of interest and he also verbalizes what many others in the Western World think.  I think his words are inflammatory but have some truth to them.  The Qu’ran does in fact compare with the Bible’s Old Testament and does preach violent solutions.  I wonder to what extent we can rely on moderate Muslims to “interpret” these teachings so they conform with western values of equal rights for women plus tolerance for other religions and apostasy.  Although I would not ban the Qu’ran as he advocates, I would ban Sharia law and insist that immigrants follow local laws and adapt their culture so they fit in and don’t try to change the ways of their host.  For example, head scarves are OK, niqabs are not.