The French Headscarf Affair Essay Example for Free

The French Headscarf Affair Essay The Headscarf affair which took place in France during the 1990s is a clear representation of the French refusal to revise their national identity. As the rate of post-colonial migration rose, so did the population of Muslims living in France. This rise of Muslim population spurred the start of the Headscarf affair which was used as a tool, against Muslims, to prevent the revision of the French national identity. The affair was justified by three main reasons, 1) to protect the idea of Secularism, 2) to achieve a â€Å"visible integration† and 3) to prevent the inevitable Islamic invasion of France. These three justifications, when considered in conjunction with each other, are able to show how the Headscarf affair in France is representative of a French refusal to revise their national identity and incorporate their new post-colonial migrants into their society. The French held high the ideology of Republic Universalism, a notion that aimed to decrease traces of difference between people, resulting in a national ‘sameness’. From this, the idea of Secularism was formed which aimed to provide a clear barrier between the State and religion. If the French could succeed in executing the idea of Secularism, they could separate the state from religious practices which would in turn remove any â€Å"religious divides that exist in society† which would lead to a religious sameness which in turn would add to the national identity of France and would prevent a revision of this identity. The Headscarf affair became the French government’s tool to the protection of Secularism in France. In 1989 the affair began when headmaster Ernest Cheniere refused to let three girls, each wearing an Islamic Headscarf into school ‘on the grounds that it would contravene with the principle of Secularism. The affair continued to gain momentum until in 1994 Francois Bayrou, the Minister for Education, put a ban on the wearing of any â€Å"Overt† religious symbols to school, with the aim of removing any religious divides and promoting equality and sameness. This rapid growth of the affair from the point of a refused entry to a ban on the Headscarf not only shows the French dislike towards the Muslim community but also indicates how the Headscarf affair, through the implementation of Secularism, represents the French refusal to revise their national identity. To the French it seems that appearance is more than reality when it comes to the idea of national identity. It can be argued that the French, with consideration to the post-colonial influx of Muslims, were only after a â€Å"visual integration†. It did not matter if the nation was actually unified and could be identified on a deeper more patriotic level; the focus was on the appearance of the nation. If the citizens of France appeared to have one identity, an identity that promoted the idea of sameness, as discussed earlier, then the national identity of the country was upheld. In order, however, for the French to retain this identity of visual integration and sameness, something had to be done about the Muslim women who were â€Å"emphasising religious differences† by wearing the headscarf. Action was taken against visual setbacks to national identity in 1994 when, as previously stated, Francois Bayrou placed ban on the wearing of all â€Å"overt and ostentatious† religious symbols. His justification was that the wearing of such symbols ‘separated students’ by causing visible â€Å"barriers to assimilation†, integration and unification. Clearly, the aim of Bayrou was to demolish any visible differences between the citizens of France and retain this visible unification that was deemed to be the French national identity. Ironically however, excluded from this ban were the Christian Crucifix and the Jewish Kippa, both being deemed â€Å"discreet. † Had Bayrou been consistent in his ban of visible and ‘overt’ religious symbols, his justification of the separation of children may have been plausible. With this ironic exclusion in mind we are now in a position to examine the real underlying factor as to why the Headscarf affair began in the first place and why the French used it to protect a potential revision of their National Identity. The primary and underlying factor contributing to the French Headscarf Affair during the 1990s is the French paranoia of the â€Å"phenomenon of Islamicization. † The French were convinced that with the mass influx of post-colonial Muslims, an Islamic invasion of France would come and with this invasion would come the rapid demise of the already established French national identity. As the wearing of the headscarf became more apparent on Islamic women in France, the French paranoia grew stronger with the Front National party going as far as proclaiming that the Muslims were â€Å"implanting themselves symbolically by the wearing of the headscarf. † In an attempt to protect their country from Islamic invasion and a potential revision of their national identity, the French implemented the ban on Islamic Headscarves and recruited support for this ban from the French community. The government used the media as their main source of recruitment; often portraying Muslim girls as tools used by the Islam’s to infiltrate France. Newspapers began to sprout exaggerated and bias headlines such as â€Å"Headscarves, the plot: how are Islamists infiltrating us† and articles declaring that â€Å"the fact that Muslim girls wished to wear a headscarf was a clear sign of Invasion. † With the support of the majority of the citizens in France, the French began executing the headscarf ban around the country in a desperate attempt to defend their nation from â€Å"the invasion by a troubling stranger and the fear of losing supremacy† and in turn prevent themselves from having to completely reconstruct their national identity. As we can see by examining the French Headscarf Affair and its three primary reasons of justification, the protection of Secularism, the achievement of â€Å"Visible Integration† and the prevention of an Islamic invasion, the Headscarf affair of the 1990s does in fact represent a French refusal to revise their national identity and incorporate their new post-colonial migrants into their society.

The Loneliness Of mice and Men :: essays research papers

The Loneliness Of Mice and Men   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the touching and gripping tale of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, he explains many themes throughout the books. One of the major themes is loneliness, which is shown throughout many different characters, for example, Curley’s wife, the stable buck (Crooks), and Lennie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"’I get lonely’ she said ‘You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley, else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to nobody?’† (Page 87) This quote is said by Curley’s wife when all the men went to town, including her husband. It shows that she spends all her time alone, in her house as the men work in the fields. She is also not allowed to talk to anyone but her husband who spends all of this time in the fields, so she feels like she is living alone all her life. This forces her to talk to anybody she finds. This shows her case of loneliness, and Crooks almost has the same situation. â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. ‘I tell ya’ he cried. ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.† (Page 72-73) As you can see, Crooks also spends most of his time alone because he is black. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house nor go to town with the guys. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house, he is not allowed to go to town with the guys and nobody likes him because he is black. This shows that he has no friendship and his whole life is filled with loneliness. His case is different from Lennie’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You ain’t gonna leave me, are ya George. I know you ain’t (page 103)†¦ S’pose George don’t come back, s’pose he took a powder and just ain’t comin back.

Open Racism

When I think about is racism still alive today, a particular poem comes into mind its entitled:â€Å"Racism Is Around Me Everywhere†. | | â€Å"Of human ignorance I am almost in despair For racism is around me everywhere But like they say sheer ignorance is bliss Just like Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Some people carry their honor in a flag And of their Nationality they brag They feel superior and they differentiate And against those who are different they discriminate. So many people still judged by their race For such there never ought to be a place ‘A fair go' those untruthful words I do recallThere is no such a thing as a ‘fair go for all'. Though we live in a so called democracy Of racism we never will be free They judge you by where you come from and the color of your skin For many equality and respect seems impossible to win. It's been awhile since the days of Martin Luther King His name to it has a familiar ring If against racism he did not choose to strive Today the great man he would be alive. So many holding the reins of power not spiritually aware And racism is around me everywhere And racism only leads to division and war Just goes to show how ignorant some are. † (Frances Duggar) | |Racism is a belief held by some that there are characteristics and abilities can be attributed to people simply on the basis of their race and that some racial groups are superior to others. Racism and discrimination have been used as powerful weapons encouraging fear or hatred of others in times of conflict and war, and even during economic downturns. For people throughout the world, the election of Barak Obama to the U. S. presidency seemed to signal in a new era, that of the end of racism. Indeed, Obama's election was a momentous occasion and, one would have hoped, a milestone on the road to reconciliation.However, some recent, very ominous events cast a worrisome veil over the democratic process in the United States. These events poin ts out how racism is still a problem in the United States. Racism occurs often times out of fear. Many people fear what is different to them and what they do not know. This in turn, makes it scary when you see people who look different than you do and sometimes, you treat those individuals differently because you do not know them. Racism occurs in different facets of society. Schools, the government and the workplace are sometimes the worst examples of racism.Racism in schools Millions of African American and Latino young people in the United States don’t get an education equal to that of most whites, partly because the urban schools they go to don’t have as much money as the schools in the white suburbs. This is because the country has decided that much of the money for schools should come from local property taxes. So in communities where the houses and businesses are less expensive, the schools don’t get enough money to provide a high quality education. This is unfair. This is institutional racism.If we financed schools differently every student, regardless of his or her â€Å"race†, could go to a high quality school that was the equal of the schools other students attend. The Government Hurricane Katrina: The government had known for years that a big hurricane was likely to cause dangerous flooding in New Orleans. The plans they made didn’t include any way to get poor people (predominately African Americans) out of the city to safety. When the storm and the flooding did come with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, much of the country saw on TV that thousands of people of color were stranded in the city without food, water, housing or safety.The government was incredibly slow to rescue people, to provide food and shelter, and to help them rebuild their houses. Many people believe that if those stranded had been mostly white people the rescue efforts would have been much quicker and effective. Racism in the Workplace Racism in the form of discrimination persists in society also. A case in point is that blacks have traditionally suffered from higher rates of unemployment than whites. In June 2009, black employment was at 15. 3 % compared to an 8. 8% unemployment rate for whites. Do blacks simply not take the initiative that whites do to find work?Studies indicate that, in actuality, discrimination likely contributes to the black-white unemployment gap. (Thompson) Critics will say how can racism still exists with the election of the United States first black president. Since President Obama took office he has been a rise of subtle racism against our president. It can be seen in the supporters of the new â€Å"birthers† movement, who stir up doubts about Obama's citizenship. During the 2008 presidential campaign, there was no impetus to question John McCain’s birthplace even though it was common knowledge that McCain was born in Panama; because he is white.The president’s birthplace should n ot have been an issue at all but yet to this day you still have a lot of Americans who still question his birthplace. Critics also say with electing our first minority president, and minorities reaching higher levels of education, obtaining more earnings and more distinguished careers, one might infer that prejudice is dead. I contend that it is alive and flourishing while lurking beneath the shadows of figures that naturally inflate with the growth of a burgeoning society.If racism does not exist then what accounts for â€Å" the wide range of disparities that still exist in society, most of which show black Americans with worse outcomes than whites in areas such as income, home ownership, health and employment,† study researcher Samuel Sommers, a psychologist at Tufts University, said in a statement. When most Americans think of racism they think of the open racism back in the Civil Rights movement and during slavery times when crosses were burned in African-American yards. They think of the KKK when they think of racism which was upfront and in your face. The fact that the KKK and groups such as these that still exist prove the point that racism still occurs in the United States. While racism may not be as widespread as before, it exists, without a doubt. While we like to think that those unfortunate days of racism are behind us, it still exists. Today, racism is much less obvious and less prevalent. However, we are still reminded that racism is alive and well, and we must continue working to do away with it.Every day in the news there are stories dealing with the unfair treatment of minorities, women, and gays. America is the best country in the world because of the opportunity given to every individual and because of its constant struggle for equality of all. Any person, of any race, creed, or religion can succeed with hard work and determination. The problem is that the level of those individual’s success is sometimes determined, by the colo r of their skin. The race for social equality is persistent here, but there are still problems with the system.So, unfortunately racism does still exist today in the United States. References William-White, L. , & White, J. (2011). Color Marks the Site/Sight of Social Difference: Dysconscious Racism in the â€Å"Age of Obama†. Qualitative Inquiry, 17(9), 837. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2495960131). William March. (16 May). Researcher: Evidence shows racism in opposition to Obama. McClatchy – Tribune Business News,. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2348227321). Thompson Matthew (2011).Does Racism still exist today? Answers from Men. Retrived December 12, 2011 http://www. answersfrommen. com/2011/01/does-racism-still-exist-today/ Mosser, K. (2011). An introduction to logic. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (https://content. ashford. edu) Pappas Stephanie. (2001) Study: Whites say they are racists’ victims. Retrieved December 12, 2011. http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2011/05/24/scitech/main20065864. shtml http://poemhunter. com/poem/racism-is-around-me-everywhere/ http://www. politicususa. com/en/political-racism

Analysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell - 789 Words

In the book â€Å"1984,† written by George Orwell, there is a character that is known as Big Brother. He is a man who could be known as a Demagogue. The reason for this is due to the fact that he was able to rise to such power where he is capable of changing the past. The way he is now, in the story, shows that he didn’t use rational argument to rise to power, but chose to appeal to the majority group of people through desires and prejudice. Donald Trump is an example of a Demagogue and of Big Brother. Donald Trump is currently running for president and he is getting many supporters who agree with his propositions. However, these supporters are with him due to the fact that he appeals to their desires and prejudice. There has not been a moment where he speaks kindly of other races. Trump is simply throwing out ideas that he feels are accurate when in truth they are entirely one sided. His concept involves murder by bombing and hunting people who, to him, are the cause o f many problems such as crimes and drugs. Big Brother is the leader of the world and is loved by everyone except one person known as Winston. Winston does everything he can to find out about the true past, which was erased and changed into what Big Brother said the past was like. Eventually Winston gets captured and is tortured to the point where he is forced into loving Big Brother. Big Brother is seen as a man who forces his ideas onto other people. He changes things into what he wants them to be. Big BrotherShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1362 Words   |  6 PagesKathie Tejada Professor Antonio Tomà ¡s Guerrero Dà ­az COLI 214B 1984 This novel, 1984, is a dystopia and takes place in Oceania where people live in a totalitarian society. The author, George Orwell, wrote this as if he was looking into the future and what it was going to turn in to. This group of people, called The Party, have control over everything and everyone, and they have a leader, known as Big Brother, who is everywhere throughout the novel and the people look up to him. They invented a languageRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1084 Words   |  5 Pages1984 was written by British author George Orwell. The main character is an average man by the name of Winston Smith. Winston does not agree with the ideals of the party; this gets him arrested by the thought police. 1984 proclaims what could happen if people just let the government do all their thinking for them. 1.In the world of 1984, what is considered orthodox is not the same as the actual world. In the book in order to be considered orthodox one must never question the party or have any individualRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1493 Words   |  6 Pagessteadily bringing us closer to the world of Big Brother because the government has the ability to collect information from devices that are constantly being in use such as cell phones, televisions, and computers without our consent. In the book entitled 1984, George Orwell reveals how Oceania was a world where no one could be trusted; an action as simple as thinking was considered a violation of the law and you could be arrested for it. Individuals were living in a society where their own thoughts, evenRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1288 Words   |  6 PagesControlled freedom Present day society is very much like society in the book 1984. Although, some of the procedures have diminished slightly, they still do exist, and are still current in today’s society. it’s a shame that most people fail to see that our â€Å"free† nation is actually still controlled. we are being manipulated in such a manner that we do not see by propaganda, media, lies, and yes even torture. Many citizens can say that here in America we are free nation or have freedom, but do weRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1088 Words   |  5 Pages1984 The book that I chose for my first book report was 1984 by George Orwell. The story begins by introducing a man named, Winston Smith, a simple man from the country known as Oceania. He lives in a small flat within London, on the Island known as Airstrip One. Winston is a part of the outer party, which is a part of the ruling party within Oceania, and is a low ranking member who works for the Ministry of Truth as a propaganda officer. The people of the ruling party are constantly being watchedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell968 Words   |  4 PagesThe book, 1984 by George Orwell, is about the external and internal conflicts that take place between the two main characters, Winston and Big Brother and how the two government ideas of Democracy and totalitarianism take place within the novel. Orwell wrote the novel around the idea of communism/totalitarianism and how society would be like if it were to take place. In Orwell’s mind democracy and communism cre ated two main characters, Winston and Big Brother. Big Brother represents the idea ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1029 Words   |  5 PagesThe novel 1984, written by George Orwell, depicts a horrendous future in which the citizens of the tyrannous state of Oceania live under unceasing surveillance. The mysterious character of Big Brother serves as the leader of this dystopian society while members of the Party work for total power over the general public. Telescreens are installed in every room for constant investigation, language is continuously modified, and extreme actions are made in order to achieve the end goal of absolute controlRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1253 Words   |  6 Pagesno point of trying to live a regular life. In the book 1984 by George Orwell nearly everyone in the book is brainwashed and given a lot of false information. Winston and other characters only provide a little bit of hope. With a little bit of hope i n the brainwashed world there is still absolutely no chance for any recovery unless the upper management screws up. This hope provides nearly no chance of humanity going back to normal. In the book, 1984, Big Brother is watching over everyone at all timesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell2321 Words   |  10 Pagespossible crime, thoughtcrime. In the novel â€Å"1984†, by George Orwell, Winston Smith rebelles passively against the idea of living in a complete uniform world under Big Brother’s dreadful surveillance. Thought crime’s impact on the novel’s population is devastating, so much so that it is somewhat hard to picture today’s society in its place. The sad reality is that thoughtcrime does impact the lives of the people in today’s society to some extent as it does in the book. The level of punishment for such a crimeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book 1984 By George Orwell1092 Words   |  5 Pages and opinions of its citizens; therefore removing the difference between state and society. The goal of a totalitarian government is to replace the existing society with a perfect one. In the novel â€Å"1984† by George Orwell, Big Brother is a dominant figure in the ways which he controls Oceania. Orwell portrays a society with a government that oversees and influences each facet of human life to the point that even having an unfaithful thought that is in disagreement with the law is forbidden. Big Brother