Christine Defraigne
Belgian politician (born 1962)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christine Defraigne (French pronunciation: [kʁistin dəfʁɛɲ]; born 1962[1][2]) is a Belgian politician and a member of the MR. She was the President of the Belgian Senate, in office 2014 to 2018.[3]
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Christine Defraigne | |
|---|---|
Defraigne in 2015 | |
| President of the Belgian Senate | |
| In office 14 October 2014 – 3 December 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Sabine de Bethune |
| Succeeded by | Jacques Brotchi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 April 1962 |
| Party | Reformist Movement |
| Parent |
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Political views
In 2009 Christine Defraigne proposed a nationwide ban of the burqa.[4] She has also called the burkini a "rejection of the freedom of women".[5] Her proposal (together with Joseph Arens) to stop slaughtering animals without anesthesia (like ritual slaughter) resulted in a ban on this practice in Wallonia.[6] She is a feminist.[7][8]
Criticism
In 2016 she was criticized for wearing a headscarf while visiting Tehran. Her decision to visit the country and wear a hijab was heavily criticized by Iranian born Belgian activist Darya Safai who accused Defraigne of condoning oppressive policies created by the Iranian government.[8][9] She defended herself saying she "didn't do anything different from what other western prominent women do".[10]
