It is Islamophobia in France ?
Part One;
This weekend all over social media the news that France has banned the wearing a hijab to girls under eighteen has spread. Although, many people who have been sharing this news are not specific nor are explaining the new ban well attributing this new law a part of French Islamophobia. I have done some research to better understand the ban for a myriad of reasons, I cant believe a country such as France would be likely to make such decrees, much less in 2021, following that, and why is France doing this? After seeing the prompt I knew, even more research was required. I would have liked to see more articles in English about this subject especially because American media circulating one or two posts about it, most of the articles I have read have been in French. I’m glad I am bilingual or my questions might have never been answered. Reading articles from the French press also include the history of the new law and gives sufficient context to the situation.
To pass along some of the historical insight I’ve gained, here are a few things to consider; this movement to ban religious face covering has started since June in 2009 with President Nicolas Sarkozy. He stated, “Religious face veils are not welcome within France” he later added that this thought is to protect women from being forced to cover themselves and thus upholds France’s secular values. This ban also extends to mandatory body coverings such as burkinis, which cover the body in the form of swimwear. This ban was supported in 2009 by 80% of the french population. When this ban was passed last week on Tuesday, March 30th (2021), 246 members of the French Senate voted to pass the bill and voted against by only one person.
To further pick this idea apart, if the former President didn’t want women to be forced to do something for religious purposes, then why should they be forced to do something for the sake of assimilation. As an Apostolic (Christian), I don’t wear face coverings nor do wear specific clothing to my religion like burkinis but I do practice modest apparel. Modest apparel for me and as practiced by my church include that any top must cover my armpits, no belly showing, skirts should be at least to knee length, and no cleavage showing. Imagining that if I were told that for the sake of assimilation, I could only wear tank tops and shorts to assimilate with American culture is shocking, that revokes my right to practice my religion freely. I’m almost sure that in Islam wearing a hijab is not a choice for all women and some are forced- with that being said, I believe that a law should be made that prohibits the forceful wear of any religious clothing and or practices. Although my knowledge of islamic practices is limited but the point of covering the body is so that women are not eye candy, like in Christianity where modest apparel is to avoid anyone* being eye candy. In Islam, women are only allowed to not wear these coverings around immediate family, where only her husband can appreciate her body. I am truly struggling to understand why France would want to prohibit a practice of modesty.
I have so many questions that are currently unanswered, and I intend to write a second post on this matter that will answer the questions of who is in support of reversing this ban why or why not as well as how has this idea grown since 2009, how wasn’t it shut down, and how is the Islamic population faring now with this new ban in place… I look forward to writing part 2 !!
*I did not include the standards for male modest apparel above for Christianity; as per the practices of my church, nothing above the knees, torso covered, no armpits and no ripped clothing, they also avoid skin tight outfits like women.
