AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMAAT RESPONDS TO CLAIMS ABOUT BURKA

27 Jun 2009 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful PRESS RELEASE The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat wishes to make clear that it rejects comments made last week by the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, regarding the wearing of a veil and burka by Muslim women. Rather than promoting unity and understanding, President Sarkozy used his address to the two houses of parliament on 22 June 2009, to perpetuate pre-existing false stereotypes. In his speech President Sarkozy claimed that wearing of the burka was a ‘sign of subservience and debasement’. He added that it ‘is not welcome in France’. These comments are extremely unhelpful and indeed regrettable, particularly coming from the Head of State of a country in which there are around 5million Muslims. President Sarkozy’s comments also directly contradict comments made by President Barack Obama recently in a speech in Cairo on 4 June where he said: “…it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit -- for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear.  We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.” The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat contends that President Sarkozy’s views on the burka are both factually wrong and ill-informed.  The burka is an item of religious dress which many Muslim women choose to wear. However no Muslim woman should be forced to wear it because a fundamental teaching of Islam is that ‘there shall be no compulsion in religion’. Far from being a sign of “subservience and debasement”, it is a dress of choice for millions of women, who feel pride in its decency. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is an outstanding example of freedom of women in practice.  In science, business, education, civil service, law, medicine and accountancy to name a few, Ahmadi Muslim women have excelled to the highest levels of society without compromising their Muslim values.  They play an active, recognised and valuable role in societies across the world as outstanding role models for women. It is hoped that France does not pursue this legislation which would contravene both Article 18 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and France’s Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen on which the French Constitution is based.  These ensure freedom to practise religion and hold religious beliefs. For France to fight for so called freedom at the expense of genuine freedom itself would be an affront both to France and those who fought so hard to secure freedom in France.  For freedom to reign, freedom must be preserved. End of Release Further Info: Abid Khan (press@ahmadiyya.org.uk)