The pagan business of the Muslim market

After the halal issue, it is time to discuss about the burqa. The business world seems to be inevitably attracted by the Muslim one. The proof of that is the approval by French Chamber of Deputies of  a law that bans  burqa and niqab in all public spaces.

However, this measure will have to wait for the vote of the Senate before coming into force next September 1st. Besides the fact that  this law will have to wait for the go-ahead of the Council of State, here is the surprise. A multimillionaire entrepreneur of Maghreb origins, without waiting for the slowness typical of politics and bureaucracy, took to the street. Rachid Nekkaz, in fact announced to be willing to provide those burqa/niqab – faithful women with a fund of € one million, since these ‘covered ladies’ will be subject to a € 150  fine foreseen for the violation of the law. “They will only have to send us the fine since nobody prohibits it, and they will receive a cheque in exchange”, explained the tycoon to the newspaper “Le Figaro”. He also added that his initiative, in just 24 hours has already gathered € 36 thousand of additional funding on behalf of private benefactors.

Nevertheless, these histrionic episodes are typical of Mr Nekkaz: for his nomination (which failed) during the 2007 presidential elections he had promised to all his voters € 300 to all voters in case of victory.

His “fraternal society box”  for women wearing burqa and niqab seems a shrewd strategy to promote himself. This is proved especially by the fact that there is a disproportion between the amount of women “totally veiled” – according to government’s estimates inferior to 2000 – and the amount of money offered by the Maghreb businessman. The truth is that, exactly like in the case of halal products, religious business is always more attractive and rich. And the sharp-eye of Mr Nekkaz has already smelled the bargain.