NEWSER
In a recently released audio tape, bin Laden threatens to kill French citizens in revenge for France’s law to ban Muslim veils that cover the face, and because France has troops in Afghanistan.
Sarkozy confirmed that France believes the tape is authentic and said the country would not back down from the new rule.
“Obviously, France doesn’t let anyone dictate its policies, and certainly not terrorists,” Sarkozy said at a European Union summit in Brussels.
Sarkozy said his country has made its choice and that it doesn’t want women in France “trapped behind pieces of fabric.”
France says that ensuring gender equality and women’s dignity _ and upholding a tradition of secularism _ are among the reasons France is outlawing fully covering Islamic veils, like niqabs, which hide all but the eyes. The measure has already become law but does not take effect until April. Many Muslims have expressed fears it will stigmatize them.
Asked by a reporter about French hostages being held by suspected Islamic militants, Sarkozy said France was working to secure their release.
“I didn’t need a message from Mr. bin Laden to know to be worried about them,” Sarkozy said.
Five French citizens and two Africans were kidnapped in Niger on Sept. 16, and an offshoot of bin Laden’s terror group called al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility. In another abduction, two French reporters and their Afghan guides were taken hostage in Afghanistan on Dec. 29.
France has balls and the rest of the world don’t. Who would have thought?
OxAO, maybe some of those behind the burqa ban know that mahoundians only respect what they fear and, had they backed down on it, the black-cube worshippers would have found it a sign of weakness to be exploited as every single display of lack of balls in the UK has.
The French have always had balls, what they don’t normally have is competent leaders.
I think it was Robert Heinlein who said that with people like the Moslems (he wasn’t talking about them, must people with their mindsets) that you have to set on them until they apologize, and then step on them until they mean the apology. Too bad we aren’t doing that.
Proud_Kafir7908 that is courage to stand up for your rights in the face of threats.
Richard true many French have courage but they usually vote for the limp waisted.
That is pratially because they have accepted the socialist bribes to elect them, and partially because of their education, they venerate the French revolution, the revolution that was the inspiration for Marx had his bastard child Fascism. The American Revolution was a conservative revolution seeking to restore rights taken from us (like the TEA party is seeking to do now) but the French Revolution was a liberal revolution seeking to find new right to give to people (like the liberal Judges in the US do). Most of our current mess can be traced back to the French Revolution, among other crimes it was the first organized attempt to destroy Christianity. This attempt Caused Marx to come out against religion, that caused the Communist and the Fascist to attack Christianity.
But back to the subject of French leaders, the French for some reason have trouble finding gutsy leaders, and most of those who have guts aren’t that intelligent. Napoleon and de Gaulle are the exception, but Napoleon was an Italian and de Gaulle’s ego got in the way of his intelligence. As I was saying before I got off on the Revolution, it is partially education, partially propaganda and possibly partially cultural. The US usually has leaders who have guts but of the last three only one has had any, and he was the one the media tried to destroy.