"우리가 복장 단속까지?" 경찰도 '발칵'..대선 후보 1위가 '히잡 금지' 목숨 건 이유 / SBS

1. "Ban Hijabs in Public Places If Elected" France is holding a presidential election next year. Candidates are currently in full swing campaigning, and one leading candidate has come forward claiming that if elected, she will push for a law banning the wearing of hijabs in public places. People around her are even discussing specific methods, such as imposing fines if women wear them. Since it is somewhat ambiguous to pinpoint exactly what constitutes a "public place," this is tantamount to telling Muslim women not to leave their homes while wearing hijabs. Who is this candidate who made such a statement? It is Marine Le Pen of the National Rally, a party classified as far-right in France. She is not just any far-right candidate; she is a leading contender for the presidency, currently leading by a large margin in polls for the election to be held next spring. She is a candidate with a very high probability of becoming a far-right president, a first in French history. Last week, Le Pen wrote on her social media that the hijab emphasizes discrimination against women and that she would push for a law banning its wearing in public places. She also stated that she would push for measures to regulate not only the hijab but also the spread of Islamism. Marine Le Pen, who championed anti-immigration policies and sought to drastically narrow the definition of French citizenship to the point of scrutinizing ancestry to grant national status, has once again brought out anti-Islamic propaganda in this election. Immediately, centrist and progressive forces rose up in protest. Criticism arose asking whether police officers would need to be stationed to enforce dress codes if fines were to be imposed for wearing a hijab. Criticism continued, labeling it as excessive discrimination and a policy of excessive division. [Gliksmann / French Center-Left Presidential Candidate: We do not play word games with specific groups. Nor do we use identity conflicts to constantly divide society.] Even the police union has stepped forward to criticize Le Pen, stating, "We do not have the luxury to do such things." 2. "I will put it to a referendum"... Why Marine Le Pen is fanning the flames However, Le Pen says she will put this to a national referendum. Instead of simply passing the bill in the National Assembly, they are fanning the flames by playing the card of a national referendum. The reason for bringing up this referendum is simple: it is difficult to pass the bill through Parliament. This is Le Pen's fourth presidential election. In previous elections, she pledged a law banning the wearing of the hijab when she lost to Macron. Even after the election, the National Rally submitted the relevant bill to Parliament, but it failed to pass the legislative threshold. Therefore, she has indicated her intention to push it through by using the method of a national referendum to bypass parliamentary opposition. Many scholars argue that a law banning the wearing of the hijab, which is akin to freedom of religion, cannot be subject to a national referendum. They say that even if it were submitted, it is highly likely to be ultimately rejected by a body similar to our Constitutional Court. Nevertheless, Le Pen is pushing it through again in this election. Why? Because that is the public opinion. As the hijab issue became controversial, a polling agency conducted a survey on the 2nd. The results showed that 60% of French people support a ban on wearing the hijab in public places. As many as 53% of respondents believed that fines should be imposed. Among those who support the National Rally, 92% cast almost an absolute vote in favor. In particular, regarding the wearing of the hijab, opposition was more prevalent among female respondents. Given these poll results, Le Pen cannot stop advocating for a ban on the hijab. However, things have been somewhat quiet this week. Due to the severe backlash and criticism regarding dress code enforcement, she is fighting less. Nevertheless, since anti-immigration and anti-Islam policies are core tenets of the French far-right, they will continue to make these arguments whenever possible leading up to next year's election. 3. Shock of Far-Right Landslide Victory in Germany However, this is not a situation unique to France. Neighboring Germany is currently in an uproar. In a central state with a population of about 2.5 million, a parliamentary election was held, and the far-right became the party with the most votes. This occurred during the state parliamentary election in Saxony-Anhalt last weekend. The AfD party, known as the Alternative for Germany, garnered the highest percentage of votes at 44%. It has more than doubled compared to five years ago. This German party is far more far-right than Le Pen's National Rally; in fact, the level of ideology is incomparable. Not only do they ban the wearing of the hijab, but they do not recognize Islam at all in Germany. They take an ultra-hardline stance o...