France herds Muslim faithful off streets

[rug]

Published Date: September 17, 2011

PARIS: A ban on praying in French streets came into effect yesterday, with thousands of the nation's Muslim faithful being moved to temporary alternative spaces for their day of prayer.

From Paris to Marseille, Friday's midday prayers will be led from disused barracks or other temporary buildings, after the question of Islam's visibility became a political issue under right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy. France, home to Europe's largest Muslim population, this year banned the face-covering burqa and earlier this week Interior Minister Claude Gueant warned that "from September 16 there will be no more prayers in the street.

If anyone happens to be recalcitrant we will put an end to it," Gueant said, suggesting police could be brought in. "Prayers in the street are unacceptable, a direct attack on the principle of secularism," Gueant told AFP last month, citing the government's defense of the republic's secular values as reason for the new policies.

In Paris, a former barracks just north of the city limits has been designated the new prayer area for those living in the multi-ethnic Goutte d'Or neighborhood, around two kilometres (over a mile) away. The praying faithful at the Goutte d'Or's two mosques have overflowed into the streets since a nearby mosque where 4,000 people could pray closed years ago, sparking the ire of French right-wing and anti-immigration parties.

http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NDYzOTE5ODcwMQ==

[Petrushka]

1. "HERDS"? --- Holy sh... [**er**] ... I mean: Wow! ... Like: B-but . . . whatta traffic jam!

[rug]

2. Do you prefer this street scene?

[Petrushka]

3. If that street scene is another daily event in France, I'd much prefer . . .

. . . avoiding the place altogether, thank you.

[pennylane100]

4. Thats a ridiculous straw man argument.

I suppose the group in the photo are supporters of Le Pen. Regardless,it has nothing to do with the sense of entitlement that makes a any religious group think it is perfectly acceptable to block off public streets very week for hours a a time so they can pray.

If it were a one time occasion and they had applied for a permit that would be perfectly acceptable but that does not seem to be the case. The police should have shut it down the second time it happened. A warning would have been OK the first time. But it is important that people understand that while their right to practice their religion is protected, that does not include taking over whole neighborhoods and restricting the rights of their neighbors to travel freely in their own cities.

[Shadowflash]

5. correct

The headlines should not read 'France bans Muslim prayer in the street' or anything of the sort, like it's being portrayed. They should read 'France prohibits blocking of streets and sidewalks by citizens without a permit'.

It would be far more accurate.

Though it would be less inflaming and we wouldn't want that, would we?

[rug]

7. There must be order.

[Silent3]

9. Not wanting people to block public streets multiple times per day...

...day after day is hardly some extreme jack-booted fascist insistence of "order". My opinion on this would depend on how much actual disruption is being caused by the prayers and the way they are conducted.

That there's already a ban on burkas, however, does bother me.

[Silent3]

8. When I first visited Egypt and Libya...

...I'd never been to any predominantly Muslim countries before. I was wondering what it would be like when prayer times came around. I was expecting to notice some big, obvious change, like traffic coming to a halt in the streets when the call for prayers went out. As it turned out, I was hardly ever made aware that prayers were going on at all.

Maybe there are areas of the Muslim world more like what I was expecting, but it surprises me that in France there would be more overt displays of daily prayer than what I saw in Egypt and Libya.

[jberryhill]

11. It's because a mosque was shut down

You are correct. In some places, shops will shut for a little while, and if anything, there is less pedestrian traffic for a bit. But in most cities, you hear the prayer call, a few shutters close here and there, and there are some folks scurrying to get to prayer.

In Saudi, people are just as likely to jump in their cars and drive around, since you don't have to stop if you are traveling.

[jberryhill]

6. There seems to be a piece missing

I'm curious about "a nearby mosque where 4,000 people could pray closed"...

[rug]

10. Update: Muslims defying French ban on mass public prayers

http://www.netindia123.com/showdetails.asp?id=1834185&cat=World&head=Muslims+defying+French+ban+on+mass+public+prayers

[Petrushka]

12. Update: France finds makeshift mosque at old fire station

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/15/v-fullstory/2408489/france-finds-makeshift-mosque.html

Scroll down for more links to more updates here: http://article.wn.com/view/2011/09/15/France_finds_makeshift_mosque_at_old_fire_station_lo/

[Azooz]

13. Friday prayers in 70s Paris

Paris and London mosques were nearly empty in the 70s, just a few old men and their kids would prefer to wait outside.

The Islamophobia in the media is aimed at non-Muslims, it served to spread fear and suspicion about Islam but at the same time it pushed (herded) Muslims closer to Islam. It made building any mosque into a national issue while at the same time it made more Muslims want to go to Mosques.