Is France's Burqa ban justified? - Part II

For clarity’s sake, a good place to start anything seems generally best to be at the beginning, and so before we even reach France let me discuss the Islamic principle behind it all. In Saudi Arabia, around 1400 years ago Muslims believe that Allah (God) revealed verses to the Prophet Muhammad, the compilation of which is called the Quran.

The verses relating specifically on how to dress are as following:

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (Quran 33:59)

Interestingly, the women here are being advised to cover, not in order to be *hidden* as is the general stereotype of Muslim women, but to be *recognised*. The context behind these verses was that many women were being harassed when visiting the marketplace by non-Muslim men, and thus covering themselves became a symbol of dignity and respect; the very identity of a Muslim woman.

The other main verse on this topic is:

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear therof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons, or their women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers, turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.” (Quran 24:31).

And there you have it. From these words, Muslim women over the ages from thousands of different cultures, spanning countries around the globe have adjusted their conduct and dress, in principle not for the sake of men but for the sake of God. The hijab is a term generally speaking given to the headscarf worn by many females, the burqa is a term given to the long shapeless cloth with netting that is worn predominantly in Afghanistan, and the niqab is a term given to a small black piece of cloth that covers the face and is worn with an accompanying long dress which is also usually black. This debate is therefore about the niqab being worn in Western countries and not about the burqa, although the term is used by the media probably I suspect for the extra scare factor.

Phew! Now with all the formalities out of the way, how do I feel about it all? Well as a Muslim female myself, I do wear a headscarf and have determinedly done so for many years out of my own choice. I am well aware that France has banned such religious symbols from their schools and workplaces, but that would be a different discussion. In this case, the issue is about the covering of the face, and although I do not do so, I know of various Muslim women in the community who do, every single one of them having made the choice individually.

To cover your face in public is an interesting concept. In many Muslim countries today, women are obliged to do so out of pressure from society and basically to prevent standing out like a giant amongst the crowds, instantly noticed, instantly judged . (Much in the same way that I would feel rather uncomfortable walking around the city centre in a sari, although of course I wouldn’t be penalised) But in the West, with the lack of such an environment, it does seem rather strange for a woman to take a cloth and conceal their face. With growing tensions around the world towards Islam, and the rise of extremist groups, there is no doubt a stirring hostility towards Muslims even in Britain. And this is exactly why I strongly feel that the problem lies not in the niqab itself, but in the lack of understanding and more specifically the lack of communication between Muslims and those who are not Muslims. One lady once related to me an incident when she was walking in a park with friends and was shouted at to go “Back home and leave us alone.” As a Muslim convert, white and British for generations on end, she was left wondering where exactly “home” was, if it didn’t mean Britain.

What I believe frightens the living daylights out of the French government is the thought of any intelligent female choosing out of their own will to dress in such an orthodox manner. I have yet to meet a ‘niqabi’ in Britain who was forced in dressing the way she does. The question that then arises is why? Why do they feel the need to cover their face when nobody is pressuring them to do so? And this is where we go back to the beginning. The logic is actually very simple – God says to conceal your beauty, and the most beautiful and striking part of your body is your face, therefore cover yourself including the face. Such a striking submission to one’s own principles and faith is something that is rarely highlighted in Western society.

I refuse to be told that dressing modestly, whether it is a simple headscarf or the complete black attire, shows tyranny and domination over females from a society where advertising is largely based on sexual beauty and the standard female role models are only famous due to their physical appearance. At the end of the day, all of us have the basic fundamental right to dress however we so please, whichever end of the spectrum.

Now we move on to perhaps the most crucial part. Does the niqab prevent integration of these women into society? To some extent, inevitably it does; the women cannot have jobs in the mainstream public sector, for example. But bearing in mind that these women have made the choice themselves, surely they have considered it thoroughly enough to then know the consequential issues that arise? Surely to assume that they don’t know is an insult to their intellect?

These women are such a minority that there has never been any statistical research into their lifestyles, but from personal experience I can confidently assert that the niqabis I have known are the most active Muslim women in the community. To show such a strong declaration of faith by the way they dress is only a fraction of the passion they feel towards their religion and I do believe, towards society as a whole. These are the women who are the teachers and guides of the Muslim youth in mosques and Muslim schools, the most vocal in political campaigns and protests and may I stress, the most determined people I have ever met in working to breaking down social barriers and to clear the ‘extreme terrorist’ labels that have unfortunately been hurled upon the religion.

There are of course difficulties presented when anybody covers their face in public and there are issues that need to be addressed. A ban however will achieve nothing except to fuel hostility and widen further the gap of misunderstanding. It would be much more logical that legislation be made that the niqab be removed for circumstances such as when within the healthcare system or in police custody. Perhaps facilities need to be created that provide a female only environment where women can feel comfortable and this would particularly be useful for those who are victims of domestic abuse, for example, and need to talk to someone. I can only guess - Muslim women who wear the niqab need to speak up and have their opinions heard.

Apart from the routine media scares, I have never come across or heard of any niqabi whose children were born with rickets and I do believe you have to be genetically predisposed to the condition before the wearing of cloth on your face can be hazardous to your or their health. It is exactly these sort of misconceptions that need to be clarified, and I must agree that our R.E. lessons at school were rather useless in this respect.

Although it is a step that I am not personally prepared to make, I can only look at niqabis with admiration for the struggle they endure for what they believe in. Isn’t that supposed to be the moral of every Disney movie anyway? And so I end by presenting to you a lovely thought provoking quote stolen from a fellow blogger.

“ Mother Teresa would be banned from France – her burqa wouldn’t be allowed by Sarkozy.”




Khadija x

Is France's Burqa Ban Justified?

Let me discuss France before I go onto the burqa. I’m aware that the French have strong traditions of secularism, and that’s why their government would give serious thought to a ban on the burqa and ours would not. Education is completely secular in France. You’re not allowed to show any symbols of faith. That means no hijab, no crucifixes, no turbans etc. And French children also aren’t taught RE unless they go to faith schools, which are independent from the state. I have a French friend whom I remember discussing Easter with a year ago. I asked if he was giving up anything for Lent and he replied, "C'est quoi, le Carême?" What's Lent?

Now, I don’t agree with the religious indoctrination of children, but I do think they ought to be taught about religion. Like it or not, it plays a very prominent role in the world today and we must have some understanding of it. That said, I was dissatisfied with the way religion was represented in my RE lessons, but that’s a different matter for a different post.

So, how do I feel about the burqa? Well, I never feel threatened by it, although it would be possible for nefarious persons, Islamist or not, to conceal themselves beneath it. What I do feel, though, is that it’s a statement of separation. It draws the line between manifestation of faith and reluctance to integrate. How can I communicate with you on a personal level if you won’t even show me your face?

I’ve heard some Muslim women say that they feel the burqa protects them from judgement on the basis of their appearance. But it doesn’t make you invisible. In fact, it can make you stand out, in a way. You still have an appearance, even when you’re swathed in black, and it’s an appearance I view with puzzlement and uncertainty. I find myself wondering, “What have you got to conceal?”

I appreciate that no woman wants to be viewed as a slab of meat. But I think it’s easy enough to dress modestly without having to veil yourself from head to toe. Also, it seems to me that whoever originally thought of the burqa wanted to reinforce the protection - and possession - of women by men. I remain unconvinced that you aren't wearing the legacy of oppression. Ongoing oppression, in some Islamic countries, where it is fully necessary to cover up well in order to avoid “asking for rape.” Now, if I were a man, I would be insulted by this notion because it suggests that men are animals who can’t control their sexual urges.

There’s also the argument that Muslim women in western countries are not forced to cover up; they do so out of choice. I cannot disagree that a ban limits their freedom to dress as they wish. However, there are some Muslim women, even in this country, who come from ultra-conservative families that force them to wear the burqa. And if a woman in this category violates the burqa ban in France, who will be prosecuted – the woman or her family? That’s where a ban gets tricky.

I really wouldn’t want to restrict anyone’s freedom in any way unless absolutely necessary. Smoking in public places was banned because passive smoking is harmful to others. A burqa does not harm people who look at it, but I have heard of cases of burqa-wearing women being so deficient in vitamin D, due to lack of sunlight, that they give birth to children with Rickets.

So please, if you wear a burqa, I entreat you to think of your unborn children. And of the society you live in. Many people, like me, can’t shake off the slight sense of insult that you don’t want us looking at you; that you don’t trust us. I know a burqa doesn't automatically signal that you want nothing to do with everyone else in society, but really, if you are sincere in your wish to integrate, then the best way for you to show it is by revealing your face.

Perhaps the French government, before going for a ban, should have tried to appeal to burqa-wearing women – to make them aware that they are alienating themselves and to ask them seriously to reconsider.