Why do you say that?
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Satyaban ji, I agree with you that is pretty scary. Its like imagining yourself trapped in a coffin, buried underground! of course... you'll get used to it...
I can only say this based on informed inferences. Reading news articles over a period of 20 years. Not only France, but many other European countries, permitted higher levels of immigration from Asian countries because of a declining birth rate (actually a 0 birth rate in some countries during certain time periods), and the need for an unskilled and semi-skilled labor force. Among those who immigrated were Muslims from various Middle Easterncountries. With large extended families and higher birth rates. Red flags raised. Alarms.
In fact if you are interested, you could consider Italy a case study that demonstrates some of these points very well. Liberal immigration policies accompanied industrial growth after WW II for a variety of reasons. Today all that has changed.
It became soon obvious that Muslim birth rates would overtake that of the native born citizens. It also became obvious that cultures were increasingly in conflict. Or even that an indigenous culture would be swamped by immigrant values and beliefs. That social services and tax revenue would be diverted from citizens to serve immigrants and refugees. Many of the concerns are based on realities and are not imaginary. Also there was and is concern over the loss of jobs to immigrant groups, in both the unskilled and highly skilled job sectors. Over the years one reads about these conflicts in many places: Australia, France, Italy, Netherlands, England, Belgium. Calls to change immigration policies did not start yesterday BTW. The increased intensity became obvious as far back as the late 1980's. Politicians make speeches about the importance of immigrants blending in. Citizens have the perception that government favors immigrants, and form lobbies for immigration reform.
In the US the very same antagonisms are easier to read in relation to some Latino and Hispanic groups. Cubans never triggering the same kind of animosity as Mexicans. It has also been increasingly present in relation to Muslims, especially since 9/11. But many immigrant and refugee groups feel vulnerable in the US to radical rethinking of immigration policies.
I suppose my bottom line is this -- and a very round-about way I have taken. The citizens of country x, y or z believe, rightly or wrongly, that their way of life is being undermined by immigration policies.They believe that these policies invite economic competition and cultural conflicts. If we read all the threads on this subject at SPN we can come up with quite a long list. Give up this transparent habit of giving speeches about the higher moral purpose that is served by outlawing burqas. Admit that burqas symbolize something bigger and more worrisome. Instead of posturing about protecting Muslim women from the oppression of their burqas, and protecting society from the possibility that there are bombs under the burqas, admit what this is really about. We might not like the ugly face of xenophobia that we finally permit ourselves to see. But at least the conversation will about something that is real. Or perhaps it will morph beyond xenophobia to a discussion about how to find a just solution for these problems, and how to manage cultural conflict in respectful ways.
