The Veil Affair, And The Veil Affair In France

The veil affair, or rather the scarf affair, in France is a controversial topic, which resulted in the creation of legislation prohibiting "conspicuous" signs of religious affiliation in public schools. This article of law, was pointedly aimed at young Muslim girls who wore the hijab in state schools. Proponents of the law argued that it was a defence of laicite, a French principle which is described as delegating religion to the private sphere, and out of the public civic sphere. Joan Wallach Scott writes, that such legislation, or separation is the state acting to protect individuals from the claims of religion. Scott, further says that laicite, is an instrument of the state to create acceptable forms of religion, which has justified the exclusion and

Olivier Roy, discusses the relationship between French laicite, and Islam, and how laicite is essentially an obsession with religion. This obsession leads to the desire to legislate about religion instead of accepting true separation. In terms of Islam, laicite singles out Islam as a religion which is not compatible with French ideals. As mentioned before, secularism has become an ideological tool in the rise of anti-Muslim discourse. Islam is viewed as a threat to French national unity, and identity, as it encompasses practices which are deemed “wrong” by French principles. It assumes the expression of religious and cultural practices are forms of extremism. France has been a witness to atrocious terrorist attacks, and the fear of the population is used by political discourse to shape public opinions and values that marginalize minorities. These opinions and values stereotype Muslim minorities and creates a view of them as outcasts. It assumes that those who are not willing to adopt French values, are not French, and that if they are not with them, they are against