There has been a banking crisis, a financial crisis, an economic crisis, a social crisis, a geostrategic crisis and an environmental crisis. That's considerable in a country that's used to being protected.

I know I'm breaking a taboo by using the term antiwhite racism, but I do so intentionally, because it's the reality some of our fellow citizens live with, and remaining quiet about it only aggravates their trauma.

The ban would apply to the full-body veil known as the burqa or niqab. This is not an article of clothing — it is a mask, a mask worn at all times, making identification or participation in economic and social life virtually impossible.

I have a thought for Nicolas Sarkozy, you know my loyalty on his account, but I profess it too for Jacques Chirac.

If you meet a woman in a burqa, she can't reply to your smile. It's a denial of identity.

People are afraid of everything.

There are a certain number of extreme behaviours led by fundamentalists who are using their religion for political ends and use extremist techniques.