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Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:00 AM

The veil vs. French values

A Muslim woman is denied citizenship -- some say because she wears the niqab.

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  • Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:52 AM

    PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT

    to apply for citizenship means that you have every intention of abiding by that country's laws, first and foremost. This isn't about a veil. This isn't just about France. This is about abiding by laws and understanding that you cannot ask an entire country to overlook your law-breaking even for religious purposes.

    Countries have every right to refuse citizenship to people whose values, religious practices, or other cultural differences will not assimilate into their countries. And if those values, religious practices, and other cultural differences mean the person is entitled to break the law, then no, they should be denied citizenship.

    Citizenship is not an automatic right. It is a priviledge of a country. And those who are radically different from the country in which they want to be citizens need to understand it's nothing personal.

    American should not have to take every person who wants to be a citizen either. It's not a right. And we should change our laws to that state that if you are here illegally and you have a child, that child is NOT AUTOMATICALLY A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES and has no automatic benefits for health, education, or anything else.

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