“I cannot accept that someone comes to participate in our work at the National Assembly wearing a hijab,” said Anne-Christine Lang, a member of France’s parliament earlier this month. Ms Lang then led a walkout to protest the presence of a Muslim lady in a headscarf (hijab) in the institution. This is not an isolated incident.
Rather, it is the latest deepening of anti-Muslim bigotry in some pockets within Europe's mainstream institutions. This is of concern to anyone who considers pluralism to be a worthy value, not just in Europe. It is not clear that those who do are increasing in number.
Ms Lang is not a fringe politician. She is a member of French President Emmanuel Macron’s La Republique En Marche party.
In 2018, Mr Macron said that the hijab was "not in accordance with the civility of our country". As for Maryam Pougetoux, the lady whose hijab was seemingly so provocative, she is the spokesperson of the National Union of Students in France, who was in Parliament to attend an inquiry into the effects of Covid-19 on young French people.
But a piece of cloth on her head seemed to mean Ms Pougetoux’s presence was an affront to the heart of French democracy, at least in the eyes of Ms Lang – even though French law states that Ms Pougetoux is perfectly entitled to wear the headscarf in that setting.
Already Mr Macron’s party is facing a great deal of criticism for the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. And engaging in a populist move to deflect the discussion is not unusual in politics. But that is a part of the point: across the world anti-Muslim bigotry is a populist tool that can be used for electoral gain.
When Ms Pougetoux was elected, the French Interior Minister attacked her choice of wearing the hijab insisting it was proselytisation. This is a peculiar accusation, partly because proselytisation is not illegal in France. But mainly because in that case every woman who chooses to observe this quite regular Muslim practice would be proselytising, simply by wearing a piece of cloth. It is unlikely that such an accusation would be made of Catholic nuns who, similarly, wear the habit.
It is not only in parts of France, though, that integrating the Muslim presence in European society can sometimes be deemed awkward. There is scarcely a month that goes by when a news story does not to some degree problematise the Muslim presence in Europe.
In the past, we've have had instances such as the Czech President Milos Zeman banning the full registration of any Islamic religious community in his country. And last year, Germany’s integration minister Annette Widmann-Mauz warned that Islamophobia poses a ‘real danger’.
The question then becomes: how should European societies adapt to these instances of discrimination?
This is not to say all of Europe suffers from this problem. But it is particularly concerning that this kind of rhetoric has not abated even during Covid-19, when global society, one might presume, would band together and focus on controlling the spread of the virus and all its socio-economic implications.
On the contrary, Covid-19 has in some parts of the world given rise to its own version of anti-Muslim bigotry: Muslim Britons, for example, are inaccurately blamed for coronavirus outbreaks, while online, the prevalence of anti-Muslim bigotry continues.
At a time when societies need to encourage social solidarity and unity, we find that in some circles bigotry against Muslims is a sought-after political tool. As we near the US presidential elections, we can expect a spike in anti-Muslim bigotry.
The question then becomes: how should European societies adapt to these instances of discrimination?
Perhaps by encouraging precisely what Ms Pougetoux represents. She is a Muslim European, active in the mainstream and exercises her rights unapologetically.
She and others like her represent what populists on the right, but also on the left, fear: Muslim Europeans who feel no need to be invisible in order to exist in Europe.
European Muslims who seek to build social capital in the mainstream, it would appear, are precisely what the far-right is most concerned about – that European Muslims have not just become integrated in society but are integral to it.
As Ms Pougetoux said in an earlier interview: “I hope that certain mentalities will change and that something positive will emerge from this whole story. That people can say to themselves that it is possible to be a woman, a French citizen, to be a Muslim, veiled, a student and to get involved for others.”
That is a nightmare for populists, but a dream for those who truly respect pluralism.
Dr H A Hellyer is a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
