THERE once was a time in the not so distance past that democracy meant something. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Freedom of expression. Freedom of religion. The United States was a beacon for these ideals and it's no small wonder that through the generations Saudis eagerly sought to study there. Most European nations also have their own version of democracy. In virtually every aspect, the United Kingdom, France and Germany all follow the same democratic principles. Western history has taught us that the American's declaration of independence in 1776 set the stage for the French revolution, which brought democracy to their country. But somewhere along the line after 9/11 democracy became a fist to bludgeon those who don't conform. Now there is liberty (but not as much as it was once enjoyed). There is freedom of expression (but with consequences like losing one's job or being jailed for supporting unpopular causes). And there is freedom of religion (but only for some people). While America has done enough to set back the cause for democracy a good half century, France has gone about willfully, if not gleefully, trampling all that is democratic. France recently denied citizenship to a Muslim Moroccan woman because of her religious beliefs. Apparently her conservative practice of Islam clashes with “the essential values of the French community.” Faiza Mabchour is 32-years-old and has three children. She is married to a French national, speaks French and has been living in the country for eight years. She also wears the abaya and the veil. She is the first person to be denied the right to French citizenship based on her religious and cultural background. How does this mother of three clash with the values of the French? According to government officials, who had interviewed Mabchour for citizenship, she lives in a state of “total submission” to her husband, father and brother-in-law. She wears her abaya and veil in public. Here's what French government representative Emmanuelle Prada-Bordenave said about Mabchour: “From her own declarations she lives an almost reclusive life, cut off from French society. She has no idea of secularism or the right to vote. She lives in total submission to the men in her family. She appears to find that normal.” Normal? Excuse me. But who is Prada-Bordenave to say what is normal? Normal by Western standards? Must Mabchour completely conform in every respect to France's cultural values to be a French citizen? Speaking French alone is a sign of assimilation into French society. Mabchour even has a male gynecologist, a fact that most Muslim women would find extremely difficult to face. That is considerable assimilation. I don't know whether Mabchour is submissive. Perhaps by her own standards she has a fair and equitable marriage. I frankly think that is her business. What comes to my mind is whether the French interviewing citizenship candidates apply their so-called submissive standards to all. Or is it just a Muslim woman behind a veil. The French government picks and chooses what is normal and what is submissive. They apply different standards to different religions and cultures. I wonder whether Orthodox Jews, Mormons and Evangelical Christians are scrutinized under the same rules. Immigration issues are hot-button topics in Western European. There is fear among conservatives of the alleged Islamification of Europe. The building of mosques, wearing the hijab in public buildings and setting aside time for prayer in the workplace have built up considerable anti-Muslim sentiment among conservative politicians. France tries to hide behind false front of legitimacy of carrying out investigations into a citizenship candidate's assimilation into society by using arbitrary rules of what is “normal” and “submissive” behavior. What the French want is to jam square pegs into round holes. It's not preserving French society. It's the demand to conform. Because if one doesn't conform to the French interpretation of what is normal, then that heavy fist of democracy will come crashing down on those who are different. – The writer can be reached at [email protected] Her blog is www.saudiwriter.blogspot.com __
