A comment on two issues...

Une quéstion Musulmane (a Muslim issue)

France has taken a few legislative steps concerning the Muslim customs, which have appalled a few people. For example, Muslim women are not allowed to wear headscarves in state schools; the government is searching for ways to ban the use of burkas (since it is understood that they “reduce dignity” and France “cannot accept to have (...) women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, prived of identity,”) and more recently a Muslim lady was prevented from swimming, in a public pool, in a burkini (image above) due to hygiene purposes (the pool prohibits the use of several kinds of swim wear).

Some defend that it represents an attack to the Muslim culture; but I’d say it is a defence of the European culture and tradition. The burka (and its derivatives) is a symbol of female repression and submission. Europe has already had its share of repression, in the past; it fought against it and it will not go back there in the name of the so-called cultural/religious respect.

When Westerners travel to most Arab countries they are forced to abide to the Sharia Law; and Western women must cover themselves up (under extremely high temperatures) and cannot travel alone with a man (unless he is either the father or the husband). So, are our culture and customs respected there? No.

I do think, though, that Muslim women should be allowed to wear a headscarf (if they wish so), which would satisfy both ends: the Muslim custom would be maintained and we would be able to recognise their facial traits; their identity. We do not wish them to forsake their religion or/and customs; we simply desire to guard our own values and culture.

The Left issue

The Portuguese left is ashamed of our historical past. I recently read that our Minister of culture (José António Pinto Ribeiro) expressed the will to open a Museum of Travel (to be called Museum of the Discovery Age); however a Socialist Party-supporter blog [in the person of Leonel Moura], in a poor attempt to be funny, wrote that the minister (by travelling) could only be referring to surfing the web because if he meant to go back to laud the discovery age, and our past deeds, then he should forget about it because Portugal is way ahead of it. I wonder which Portugal this socialist is talking about...certainly not the same I’m in.

First, our national anthem is about the discovery period and it calls upon us to bring back the glory Portugal once enjoyed – this is called pride for our history and a plea to recall that we are grand & capable of anything.

Second, since when are we “way ahead of it”? What glory do we enjoy as a nation (in the international scenery)? We are not even invited to the G20 meetings; but again how could we? If a foreigner wishes to know more about Portugal (under our perspective) it can’t...for our online press is in Portuguese only (even the Germans have English versions of their e-newspapers). The international press only mentions Portugal to speak of Cristiano Ronaldo; the whores in Bragança; whenever our football (soccer) teams participate in the Champions’ League and to stress our failure in dealing with the case of Maddie McCann.

Does the world know that our scientists (from the Nova University) invented the Paper Transistor? Does it know that a Portuguese company (Solar Plus) is a pioneer in the photovoltaic modules (using the Thin-film technology)? No. The mainstream doesn’t...yet it knows that we discovered the path to India, they know our former colonies; they know we (along with the Spanish) were the most vicious in the slave trade and that we performed the worst decolonisation ever in human history.

So, Mr. Leonel Moura should just wake up and smell the coffee...we are not there yet, let alone “ahead”.

Our past serves as a trampoline to a successful future.

“God wills, man dreams, the task is born.
God wanted the world to be whole,
The sea to connect, and no longer divide.
He chose you and you went forth unraveling the foam,

And the white rim went from island to continent,
Clearing up, racing, to the end of the world,
And the whole Earth was suddenly seen,
Emerging, round, from the deep blue.

He who hallowed you, made you Portuguese.
Of the sea and us, in you he gave us a sign.
The Sea was accomplished, and the Empire was undone.
Lord, Portugal is yet to be accomplished!” ("Prince Henry" by Fernando Pessoa)


Image: taken from Daily Mail