Fear of the Unknown: France vs. Hijab

646 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Islamophobia in europe essay

Everyone should be given the freedom of religion regardless. The French secularity principle should be abolished at all costs. This is because it snatches the individuality and freedom of French citizens as well as prevents them from expressing their religious views. The law is not only disrespectful towards Islam, but all religions. Secularity as France presents it is segregating, hypocritical, and disrespectful, and should be immediately stopped. Over the years France has shown distaste towards Muslim females wearing the hijab, or religious headscarf as well as other religious items of clothing such as the niqaab (or religious veil) and the burqa (long coat which covers your clothing). On the basis of secularity many Muslim females have been denied educations, public appearance, as well as citizenship.

The controversy first aroused in October 1989 at Gabriel Havez middle school in Creil. Three female students were asked to take their hijabs off in the middle of class, and

upon their refusal they were suspended. Later that year the minister of education, Lionel Jospin anno...

Show More
Related

  • Debating the Ban: Burqa and Niqab in the West

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Should Britain and other Western countries follow the Belgian and French examples and ban the burqa and the niqab? In other words, should the West prohibit any and all clothing that conceals one's identity? According to some surveys, most Europeans seem to expect the ban of burqa and niqab ("Widespread Support for Banning Full Islamic Veil in Western Europe"). However, a significant part of society, particularly in the United States and quite a few feminists have considered such a ban as religiously intolerant, anti-Western and primarily anti-woman. They maintain that the state has no right to decide what a woman can and cannot wear—it is her body, not public property; that given the worldwide exploitation of women as pornographic sex objects, wearing loose, comfortable, modest clothing, or actually covering up, might be both convenient and more dignified; that because of the West's tolerance toward religions, the state cannot come between a woman and her conscience because it would be a betrayal of Western values; and that women are freely choosing to wear the burqa. Some Western intellectuals, such as Leon Wieseltier,

    Read More

  • Martha Nussbaum's Essay 'Veiled Threats'

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    For some women wearing a veil is not something that is forced on them but rather a choice of their own. Martha Nussbaum and Maysan Haydar are both authors that try to explain their reasoning that veiling isn't an oppressive tool used against women. Martha Nussbaum's article “Veiled Threats”, is a political and philosophical take on why banning the burqa is a violation of human rights. On the other hand Maysan Haydar’s article “Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering”, is a more humorous and personal take on why veiling shouldn't be as judged or stereotyped. Though Nussbaum and Haydar have equal goals this essay is being used to understand the main argument, claims and whether or not each article has any weaknesses.

    Read More

  • Native Americans, Bradbury and the Scorn of the FBI

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...spects, as manifest destiny attitudes could spur conflict. Similar to the conflicts of instating leaders into other countries, adoption of American and Western culture has become a mandate for any country seeking further economic progress. France has recently had issues with the banning of wearing a full face veil, religious headwear for women in Islam, while on in public (Erlanger 1). While in the West there are outcries of sexism and discrimination, for the women wearing the hijab, it is an essential part of their religion and taking it away from them diminishes their chances of an afterlife. While the institution of Islam may be sexist, that should be left to the followers. With the tools to make the decision for themselves, removing the hijab can be a possibility, as long as the Western World does not try to make them “see” when so blind to the culture of Islam.

    Read More

  • Young, Muslim And French

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    The documentary “Young, Muslim, and French” brings attention to the islamophobia that is going on in France. In September 2004, the French government passed a law banning religious paraphernalia in schools, especially targeting head scarfs. The government claims this was a way to “end extremism”. The school system believes that there is no place for religion in school, and around the young in their formative years. The veil is an expression of their devotion to Islam, not a symbol of terrorism. Not wearing it contradicts their religion and even jeopardizes their place in heaven, and puts a great amount of stress on Muslim students. Which results in the French education failing to properly teach and support these students. Muslim students are thrown off the education path and often study to become electricians and other technical careers. Girls are forced to choose between practicing their faith and receiving an education.

    Read More

  • Deconstructing the 'Ban the Burqa' Debate

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    The principle behind the first premise is that wearing the Burqa represents the repression domination of women which is vastly contrasted to how Australians live. Within Australia’s values and culture, there is much reasoning to suggest that anything that compromises equality amongst gender and the damaging of Australian values shall be prevented. Despite all of this, the argument show fallacies of composition, which it does not imply how the burqa shows the repression domination of women, and without more resources it would be begging the question.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Politics Of The Veil By Joan Scotts

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    The author talks about how this was not something that happen overnight, but has been discussed about from a very long time such a 1989. The views of people that the author chooses to look at are Ernest Cheniere, who raised the statement of banning headscarves in public schools in 1994 and Francois Bayrou minister of education in 1994 who saw muslim headscarves as a way of proselytizing. Then Joan Scotts talks about why the timing played into affect, how racism such as colonial legacies were effected, secularism, individualism of the veil, Muslims being looked as threats, how uncivilized Muslim people were, and sexuality. Joan Scotts goes into detail in all the sub topics and shows how does this affect a common Muslim girl that wears a hijab and how does the French government view

    Read More

  • Scarfing It Down Analysis

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fakhraie launches her essay by explaining how Muslim women struggle every day because of what they wear. In her essay, she talks about a teenage girl that was killed by her father because she refused to wear her hijab. Also, many women that wear a hijab are being banned from sporting events in the United States. A hijab is a “traditional Muslim garment” (Fakhraie 461) that several Muslim women wear every

    Read More

  • Veiling the Truth: A Look at How the Hijab is used as a tool of Oppression and Resistance in Iran With Comparisons to Indonesia

    2582 Words  | 6 Pages

    Women have always been thought of as something that needed to be controlled in Muslim culture. Their bodies are a source of shame that must be covered during prayer and also in the public (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 3). Veiling, done by a hijab or chador, is when women either wear a headscarf to cover themselves or they wear a veil that covers their entire body, excluding her hands and eyes (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 1; Mir-Hosseini 2003: 41; Berger 1998: 93; Smith-Hefner 2007: 390-391; Brenner 1996: 674; El Guindi 1999: 6). Veiling is used as a tool for oppression. By having women veil themselves, it enforces the control by the male run and male dominated society (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 7). Also, the punishment for women appearing without a veil transitioned as the concept of veiling was addressed, transitioning from seventy-four lashes, to being arrested and held between ten days and two months for being “immodest” women and offending public morality, or fined 50,000 to 500,000 rials (Mir-Hosseini 2007: 8). The oppression of veiling is perpetuated through the thought that it is a woman’s religious duty to wear one, condemning foreigners and women in society if they refuse. Although it is a tool for oppression, there was resistance the oppression. In ...

    Read More

  • Cultural Conflicts In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    The religion of Islam was imposed upon Iranians, whether they liked it or not. Marjane and her classmates “...didn’t like to wear the veil, especially since we didn’t understand why we had to”(Satrapi 3). The young girls were against wearing the veil because they were not practicing

    Read More

  • The Hijab and Human Rights

    606 Words  | 2 Pages

    International human rights standards protect the rights of persons to be able to choose what they wish to wear, and in particular to be able to manifest their religious belief. Thus, Human Rights Watch in their report, focusing on the hijab ban for state officials in Germany, said that: “Restrictions should only be implemented where fully justified by the state, and be the least restrictive necessary”.1 Proclamation of wearing the hijab in public institutions as illegal is undermining the autonomy of individuals, their right to choose, their right to privacy and intimacy, and their self-determination. In addition to this, several European countries such as Germany and France directly prevent women wearing hijab to work or attend school in the public state institutions, which further intensified already negative attitude of Western public towards wearing hijab.

    Read More

  • The Veil is not Mandatory in Islam

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hijab is a choice that some women or girls make for their own security, for more privacy, or because it makes them feel comfortable and confident about themselves. It should be a choice though, and as it is not proven to us that it is obligatory, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan should remove their laws that insist every girl puts the veil on. Freedom of choice should be given in these countries. It is not required in Islam so it shouldn’t be forced on anyone anywhere. In addition to this, Islam’s beauty is it’s freedom, the choice it provides you with, let it not be ruined.

    Read More

  • Hijab Should Be Banned Essay

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    The hijab is a very important and powerful Muslim symbol that is worn by billions of Muslim women all over the world. Many wear the hijab as a symbol of faith, while others wear it to protect themselves from society’s expectations of women. Some people think that banning the use of the hijab in public is a violation of freedom of religion and freedom of expression. However, others think the banning of the hijab is a necessary precaution. The wearing of the Muslim hijab should be banned in public because it is impractical, Muslims use it to separate themselves from society, and it is a security risk.

    Read More

  • Muslim Women´s Hijab

    2095 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wearing the burqa and veil by Muslim women in France has become a controversial topic. The burqa and veil are recognized in France as a conflicti...

    Read More

  • French Culture

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    “French Parliament to Consider Burka Ban.” CNN. June 24 2009. Online. Available http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/06/23/france.burkas/index.html?iref=all search. Jan 5 2010.

    Read More

  • Women Rights in Islam

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Women’s rights in Islam” is great controversial topic going on nowadays. The world is colored with different cultures and religions. Most people come up with different thoughts for other religion’s people by just having one look on them. Veil is obsession for some people, whereas, being bald is freedom in some people’s point of view. There are lots of misconceptions about women’s rights in Islam among non muslims. If women are covering their body or if they like to stay at home, people think that they don’t have any freedom in this religion and women are obsessed. But this is not reality. A person cannot point out anything wrong and blame other’s religion just because of his own confusion. He needs to study thoroughly and then come up with opposing viewpoints. Therefore, the misconception about women’s rights in Islam should be removed because women have equal rights, veil is for their protection, and they have freedom of speech and expression.

    Read More

More about Fear of the Unknown: France vs. Hijab

Open Document