Originally posted by BillyBong:
Ironically, it is not just the crumbled british empire that is
facing this problem. France is another european country where
legions of former french colonial citizens have emigrated in search
of a better life.
Yet it seems the level of racial tolerance in France far exceeds
those in UK. Having visiting France several time in the course of
my work, i have interacted with both 'white french', 'french
africans' and 'french algerian '. I must say that on the surface
and under it, there is little or no discrimination in terms of skin
colour and race.
Even after the banning of the tudong in 2005 by the French
education ministry, apart from the initial outcry, there was no
hardline extremist response by staunch muslims in the country,
though the French government lobbied the idea of placing
restrictions on the number of immigrants into the country, plans
which were partly accelerated by the massive fire breakout in the
slums of downtown France in 2006.
It seems that despite what others claim of the french, speaking a
'snob' common language has helped with the integration process, not
to mention the 'welfare' state France is known for.
Ultimately, the bastion of hotbed activity is measured by the level
of acceptance by the local community, as well as the govt's stand.
Outright banning of immigrations will not solve the problem in the
long run. It may in fact foster xenophobic behaviour among the
british for future generations.
The French are more liberal in
their politics than the British with their ''stiff upper lipped'' social
structures, rules and functions of office.
While the French can be as bureaucratic as the British, the French
politics take on a more democratic form - perhaps due to their
experience with their French Revolution against the French Royals,
and compared to the Royalist minded British that remain stuck in
their structured Classes.
The French easy acceptance of alien races forming closed knit
communities within the French diaspora is largely creditted to this
typical characteristic of a ''French Open Society'' - a product
from the French Revolution.
The fact that there was no further outcry after the passage of
legislations banning the ''Tudong'' from French Public Life,
can be attributed to the French Muslim Community having assimilated
into the French way of Life, and are prepared to give up on an
issue that is ''NOT Fundamental
to Islam'' - as proven by the Turkish experience.
The ''Tudong'' issue is
nothing more than an insistence by some Muslims to give their
Community a higher political profile - making a political statement
through their womenfolks on a daily basis that they are here to
stay.
Almost like thumbing their nose against all that is seen to be
offensive by others, and purposefully making themselve different
from others.
The French way has to be congratulated.
