0'3: The foot of the French Alps, half an hour's drive from Grenoble. An agricultural fair has been held in Beaucroissant since 1219, making it the oldest in the country. This is "La France profonde", the inner, deep France. Immigrants, here? There were some Portuguese, Spaniards, a few Italians - 30 years ago. They were white and Christian and adapted quickly. Arabs, blacks and Muslims are seen only on television, or occasionally in the cities. But their culture is met with incomprehension.
0'46: OT-cattle-dealer: (Markus)
"The burqa ban is necessary! Women deserve better from God!"
0'57: OT-wife (Esther)
"No, here in France I can’t accept it. If you go to their countries, then they require you to wear one: you have to put it on, alter your appearance and so on. If they ask for adherence to their strict rules, then they must comply with us in France and go by our rules, full stop! "
1'24: Ultimately, we are French, is the tenor and again the comparison with the practices in Muslim countries.
1'30: OT- Farmer (Viktor)
"If a woman goes to Saudi Arabia, she must wear a headscarf, otherwise people say: Madam, here is the train, off you go.. And that’s it! "
1'48: OT-wife (Naomi)
"A scarf, yes, I can accept, but the burqa, no, I don’t like it"
2'03: President Sarkozy himself set the patriotic tone. A stop to the radical symbols of cultural boundaries! - Was his appeal to the French Parliament?
2'13: OT-Nicolas Sarkozy, French president (Viktor)
"The burqa is not a religious issue, it is a question of freedom, the dignity of women!"
2'33: OT-Sarkozy
"The burqa has nothing to do with religion, it is a sign of slavery, of subjugation"!
2'45: National identity - what does it mean today to be French? Sarkozy has been calling for a national debate for months, with 350 organised discussions and a website. All the stops were pulled to drum up patriotic sentiment.
SOUND ON
3'01: OT-Pierre Moscovici, Socialist Party (Markus)
"The burqa ban represents the humiliation of Muslims. The President should reconsider whether he really wants such a stigma "
3'14: If only sporadically - the hostility to Muslims in the country has already led to violence.: This mosque was fired at during the night - 30 projectiles from three different weapons were found. [CN4]
3'35: Eric Rault served as chairman of the parliamentary commission, which has prepared the burqa ban. He is a loyal Sarkozy man, for whom there are no ifs and or buts in this matter.
3'44: OT-Eric Rault, UMP deputy (Viktor)
"I can wear a cross under my shirt, I can wear a kippah to show my faith, or a headscarf - but to cover the face is a violation of identity, security and dignity."
03 4: OT-Rault (Viktor)
"The Imam of the neighbouring town told me, in fact we don’t want women to look like that. These veiled girls remind me of the middle Ages. I don’t want the Middle Ages for the women in my country. "
4'18: In the search of a definition of French identity we found very different opinions. Young people, like Optime, for example:
4'27: OT-girl (Esther)
"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity - these values are important to me - and that those who are in difficulty, a social welfare system that takes care of them."
4'46: but disappointed tones can also be heard.
4'49: you're French? (Lorenz)
4'53: OT-miners (Viktor)
"Yes, yes, until proven otherwise...."
4'50: OT-2.Mine worker (Mark)
"As long as we punish crooks and thieves, we know that we are French."
5'08: OT-1.Mine worker (Viktor)
"What we have to watch, at our age - it hurts..."
5'16: Question: (Lorenz)
"Is the French identity weakened?"
5'09: miners a (Viktor)
"Yes, very much ... because we no longer uphold any values... If we had done what young boys do today.. They would have cut off our heads!"
5'38: Surprise at Sunday Mass in the country. The priest is African, because in France there are too few believers. He explains the attitude of the French bishops who oppose a ban on the burka.
5'48: OT-Justin Aka, Pastor (Mark)
"It is a question of tolerance. One can discuss social and political motives. But now it’s already gone so far as to ban the crucifix in classrooms. Of course, we condemn fanaticism and extremes – but in the name of liberty should not ban the burqa ... when it allows someone to act out their religious convictions.... "
6'27: What exactly is French identity today? At the annual fair in Grenoble, we see the down-to-earth and enjoyable side of it
6'37: OTs voices - two women (Naomi / Esther) [CN7] <>
"The French eat well, drink well and are also hard working. But above all, we eat well and drink and enjoy each day fully. Voilá "