Perhaps it's time for France to take a deep breath. First the country went through histrionics as parliamentarians bustled to ban the niqab - the face-covering garment that only a few hundred Muslim women wear in this nation of 65 million people. Then came President Nicolas Sarkozy's push for a debate on national identity, a move that critics claimed stigmatized immigrants and Muslims. Now France is demonstrating what looks like a neurotic obsession with Islam - if not outright Islamophobia - as it frets over the halal hamburgers that are sold in a handful of the 362 French affiliates of Franco-Belgian fast-food chain Quick. The latest brouhaha was sparked by René Vandierendonck, the socialist mayor of the northern city of Roubaix, who this month railed against his local Quick outlet over its Nov. 30 decision to remove bacon burgers from its menu and replace them with a version using halal beef and a slice of smoked turkey. "It's discrimination" against non-Muslim customers, Vandierendonck said. The mayor has filed charges with justice authorities against Quick for what he says is prejudicial religious catering. He has also lodged a complaint with France's main antidiscrimination authority on the matter. "Yes to diversity, no to exclusion," Vandierendonck told Le Monde's website last week. "I congratulate Quick for adapting its offer to consumers by providing halal, but it goes too far when they propose only that." (See an article on the global halal economy.) Unsurprisingly, Marine Le Pen, vice president of France's far-right National Front Party, whose power base lies near Roubaix, has been quick to jump on the issue. France, she says, needs to be defended from Islam's growing influence. Quick's halal option is "an Islamic tax" on diners. Not to be outdone, members of the ruling conservative Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) have also fretted over Quick's menu change. UMP secretary general Xavier Bertrand says it is undermining France's secular, integrationist social model, while UMP parliamentarian Richard MalliÉ salutes Vandierendonck's "republican combat." Critics of Vandierendonck point out that Roubaix's Quick outlet is one of just eight in France to adapt its menu to its predominantly Muslim customers and claim that the controversy, coming after those about Muslim dress and religious symbols, is evidence of a deep prejudice against Islam. "Would there have been all these resounding denunciations had Quick decided to position itself in, say, the biological food niche rather than halal?" asks Muslim consumer blog Al Kanz. "Would thematic Quick menus offering only Mexican or Chinese food make such noise in the media? No, assuredly not." (See an article on halal food advertising.) Mayors in cities where other Quick restaurants have gone halal say the move provoked no problem or debate. Socialist politicians say Vandierendonck's theatrics are of a type with the divisive grandstanding they accused conservatives of using in the recent identity debate. Many French commentators note that fast-food diners can't tell whether the meat they're eating is halal, kosher or blessed by voodoo priests unless they're specifically told - making the beef over halal burgers seem a tad overdone. French KFC affiliates mostly buy halal-slaughtered birds, but there has been no controversy about that. And if people are really annoyed about bacon being dropped from a menu, they can always take their business to one of France's many other fast-food outlets.
It's gotten so ridiculous. What it boils down to is France's anxiety over the fact that everyone in their country isn't white, French-speaking, with French/Catholic roots. The country (and Europe as a whole, to a lesser extent) has turned Islam into a caricature so that they can persecute Muslims/immigrants for the mere fact that they're different.
France is also under fire for discriminating against Romanians... though the gypsies in Paris are a pain in the ass. Not that all Romanians are gypsies.
ill assume that is a joke....are you guys aware what is done to call meat halal? All it is is the Muslim process of slaughtering animals...its actually revolves around being humane. 1. Take the animal for slaughter away from other animals so none freak out. 2. Blinfold the animal and make it lay on the ground. Pet and reassure the animal until its not freaked out and just chilling there unaware what is about to happen. 3. Say a Muslim prayer pretty much thanking god and in one swift stroke behead the animal....about as humane as you can get ,,,,oh the outrage lol
absolutely not true. canada has more of that fear and if u dont believe me- look at le pen's disastrous runs at presidency in france. although, france has taken secularism to an extreme, having an austere obedience to it- that it sorta resembles an organized faith these days. nevertheless, france like the rest of the europe needs immigrants desperately for the simple fact they need them as a supplemental population to pay for their robust, social welfare programs.
they have halal everything in toronto. if u ever come to toronto- i could give u directions to streets completely run by muslim small business. small business in canada is big in immigrant communities- many ppl speculate it has to do with the inability of immigrant groups not being able to penetrate the conventional job market.
I've seen those streets in France. I'd surmise your speculation is accurate. There's a lot of closet racists in Canada.
well being a minority in toronto or van city for the matter is great but ppl in western canada vote in blocs- consequently, the backward rednecks in western canada have been calling the shots lately and its putting us back decades in the process.
i went to france when i was kid and the one disturbing thing that i could remember is that ppl were being incredibly self segregationist, particularly the moroccans and algerians so i kinda understand the angst. and honestly its something ive observed in a much smaller scale here in toronto
my friend worked at a muslim farm or something here and had to kill the goats this way all day long, got some crazy skin rash too lol. had to do it on a special stone slab as well, not sure if it is the same thing.