Erudite Sarkozy speaks loosely in La Monde
Nicolas Sarkozy stoked the debate over immigration today with a warning to Muslims to practise their religion discreetly or face rejection by moderate Islam in France. The President voiced sympathy for Swiss voters who opted last week to ban minarets as he tried to reassert himself in a debate over national identity which he launched last month but that has since spiralled out of his control.
Over the past week, Mr Sarkozy had appeared to retreat from his original comments following a backlash over the way that they were being used against immigrants, particularly Muslims.
But in a column for Le Monde, Mr Sarkozy returned to his theme and said that the result of the Swiss referendum showed how important it was for France to define its identity.
More @ Times UK
aziz 1:08 pm on December 8, 2009 Permalink |
see? it really is laicitie.
abunoor 1:20 pm on December 8, 2009 Permalink |
I don’t this proves that that is what was going on in Switzerland. Of course Sarkozy, like any politician will use any issue in the news from another country in a way that suits his own agenda and will frame the issue in a way that is relevant to his own political advantage.
But I’m confused, I thought Kouchner, French Foreign Minister, had said he was “shocked” by the Minarets vote, which he termed “religous oppression.”