The Burqa Debate: To Ban or Not to Ban - Report Example

BURQA BAN IN FRANCE BURQA BAN IN FRANCE Since the dawn of civilization, religion has been an integral source of driving humanity. Whether it is the bible, geeta or the holy Quran, majority of the population of the world still looks up to these Holy Scriptures for guidance regarding their daily life. With the advancement of time, advent of technology and most importantly the change in the social constructs of societies, communication has also become an imperative and unavoidable aspect of everyday life. Whether it is one’s personal life, professional or social one, people interact and exchange information with each other on countless occasions. Freedom of speech, individuality and human rights have also gained momentum as a result of this increased interaction between people. Combining religion with socially acceptable attributes and linking these to law and extent of religious freedom that can be practiced by an individual has brought into light many issues. One of such issues of recent times is the infamous ‘burqa ban’ in France or restriction against veiling of the female Muslim population. This paper will shed light on the possible counter arguments against this law and how they can be refuted on the basis of general social conduct of a country, rendering this a favorable decision by the law-makers of the country. MUSLIM WOMEN AND VIELING A burqa in simple terms is a garment that is worn by women, especially Muslims, to cover their bodies and face when they are in public. A semitransparent piece of cloth in the eye area enables women to see but restricts anyone else from seeing them. Islam having one of the highest number of followers all over the world, instructs men to respect women and instructs women to cover themselves modestly so that they are not the center of unwanted gazes from men. A symbol of piety and female decency, Islam does however empower women to choose whether they would want to cover their faces or not (different schools of thoughts in Islam differ on this). The holy quranic scriptures ask women to guard their purity by ensuring that they cover their faces and bodies and not attract male attention. Followers of Islam all over the world differ in their practices. Devout Muslims make sure that they abide by these instructions while the others choose to make their faith a matter between them and their god, Allah. With the rising security concerns and established social codes of conduct in some societies, this particular Islamic law of veiling has gained two types of attention. One is that of inquisitiveness and awe of the resilience of these women in the face of changing societal dynamics to stand by their religious teachings and go about their daily lives within the prescribed religious limits. The second perception is that of reprehension and disregard for the sentiments of these devout followers. MUSLIMS IN FRANCE Islam is the second most followed religion in France currently (Cesari, 2002). Having a history filled with Muslim inhabitants of the region that settled in that area, France was always open to people belonging to various religions and beliefs. As a result of the growing opportunities that the country has to offer along with the rapid globalization, Muslim immigrants became an eminent part of the French society. Leadership that promoted diverse cultural exposure enables the families of the immigrants to obtain French citizenship making them and their generations to follow French by birth (Vladescu, 2006). In this way the Muslim population in this part of Europe not only increased but also became entrenched in the general population. This called for their representation in the public offices of the government and in law. Thus, Muslims are considered an important part of the French society of today. In the recent years, French laws came under international limelight upon the seemingly inconsiderate ban against the veiling in public. Several debates regarding the context of this law, its implications on the foreign influx of immigrants, its impact on the societal norms of facial recognition etc. have sparked not just arguments but also an emergence of several perspectives to this matter. THE HIJAB-BAN In the late 1980s the first incident depicting objection against hijab was reported when a high school banned the covering of faces and heads of its female students (Henkel, 2012). They argue that this was against the laws of separation of religion and state and involved an aggressive form of religious devotion that represented oppression and cultural backwardness. Soon many other schools followed suit in imposing a ban of these hijabs for its female students. It was not long after this that the issue grasped the public eye in April 2011 due to its implementation in public state offices and workplaces too. The law called for a punishment of one year or a €30,000 fine (Nanwani, 2011). The main argument in favor in this regard is that it is a display of religious fervor that is not welcome in educational and professional set-ups. Other argues that it was synonymous with the middle-east and Asian female oppression that restricted women within the confines of the four walls of her house without any opportunity to contact anyone from the outside world. With the rise in terror attacks all over the world, security identifications and scrutiny gained momentum and this led to the French government’s ban on hijab all over France. ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE BAN First, this ban represented the resistance of the country towards religious freedom. Supporters of hijab argue that if security concerns really were a reason why aren’t obvious threats like those posed by weapon selling and licensing banned. A country that was synonymous with freedom, individualism and prosperity was imposing a ban on a contentious piece of clothing that women donned at their own discretion and this was unacceptable to the vast Muslim population of France. Many riots and protests broke out where people lashed the government for imposing such a law. Another concern highlighted was the potential biasness that this law showed against females. Anti-Islamic sentiments could make the country more prone to attacks from Islamic extremists who aggressively sought acceptance for their ways of life. Lastly and most importantly, Muslims all over the world argues that it was purely up to a woman to choose to cover her face or not and that it was actually freedom of choice instead of supposed oppression that the viewers perceived it to be. ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF THE BAN Many debates made strong cases for the imposition of the ban and how it was an acceptable one. Firstly, the law is against the covering of the face and Muslims or Islam are not mentioned anywhere in this context (Perspectivist, 2011). The reason is purely security concerns and it is a strong cause as it is. Apart from that, the ban asks women to have their faces uncovered in public places making them free to practice whichever form of modesty within their private spaces. The law draws a line between religious practices and social norms. It is unfair for the veiled woman to be able to look at everyone when her identity or face is hidden from other’s views. Since the covering of the face is a matter of choice and no restrictions have been levied on the covering of head, it is a do-able action if the aim is safeguarding the lives of the people from the unexpected terrorists attacks or fraud/theft, robbery, crimes etc. CONCLUSION The stance taken on this case is that of in favor. The reason for this is because the issue has been negatively publicized in the recent times and when one comprehends the actual facts, they realize that the law is nowhere as harsh as other laws in many countries of the world. For example, the disbandment of arms for committing robbery in Saudi Arabia, the country that devoutly practices the hijab culture. The law is against the covering of the face which restricts identification and has nothing specific to do with the Muslims or Islam. Since the covering of the face is a choice even in the religion, it is permissible act of the reason is security of the lives of the people. Most importantly, the laws are constructed to ensure that every action in the country is within the jurisdiction prescribed. Not being able to view or recognize faces can potentially lead to many events that can be manipulated accordingly. Since the face veil disqualifies one from driving and social interactions, it does indicate female oppression to some extent. If the country is based on the general human rights, individualism and gender equality, it has to ensure that it is practiced within the acceptable limits of the society without jeopardizing the well-being of others. REFERENCES: Vladescu, E. (2006). The Assimilation of Immigrant Groups in France--Myth or Reality?. Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series, 5 (39). Perspectivist, T. (2011). The Burqa Debate: To Ban or Not to Ban. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.perspectivist.com/politics/the-burqa-debate-to-ban-or-not-to-ban [Accessed: 10 Apr 2014]. Nanwani, S. (2011). Burqa Ban: An Unreasonable Limitation on Religious Freedom or a Justifiable Restriction, The. Emory Intl L. Rev., 25 p. 1431. Henkel, M. (2012). Pulling Back the Veil: The Hijab Ban and the Evolution of French Nationalism. Cesari, J. (2002). Islam in France: the shaping of a religious minority. Muslims In The West: From Sojourners To Citizens, pp. 36--51. Read More