France is "back in vogue," said Phyllis Chesler in Pajamas Media. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for a ban on the burqa, saying the traditional Muslim garment is a symbol of "enslavement" for women because it completely cloaks their bodies and faces. "Who could ever have predicted that the French president would stand up for women’s universal rights," while the American president looks the other way?
"That's not entirely fair," said Jill Lawrence in Politics Daily. Obama has not defended "the right of Muslim women in America to wear burqas; he was talking about hijab, modest head scarves and dress that does not involve covering the face. Still, it's great to hear a flat-out denunciation of a Dark Ages garment and the motivations of men who insist that it be worn."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'King's horses take free rein through London'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Labour to renationalise rail within five yearsSpeed Read State-run rail network will be 'more transparent and clearer' – but not necessarily cheaper
-
Is pop music now too reliant on gossip?Talking Point Taylor Swift's new album has prompted a flurry of speculation over who she is referring to in her songs
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion banSpeed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling BiblesSpeed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitnessIn Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
