By Jennie

Earlier this week, the lower house of the French parliament overwhelmingly approved a ban on the niqab, the face veil favored by some devout Muslim women. In September the vote will go to the French senate, where it’s expected to pass, though it may face constitutional challenges. 

The ban is favored by a majority of French voters (some detractors feel that it’s nothing more than a ploy by President Nicolas Sarkozy to appeal to France’s far-right). Those opposed to the ban include Muslim groups and civil rights organizations, who see it as being motivated by religious (and perhaps racial) prejudice.

France apparently has Europe’s largest Muslim population – around 8% of the population identifies as Muslim. Most Muslim women in France opt for the less enshrouding headscarves, if they conform to any dress codes at all. Only a small percentage wear the niqab, which covers the face entirely, leaving only the eyes (and in some cases a small portion of the forehead) visible.

As a liberal American, I have a number of feelings about restrictive Muslim dress and bans on the same. Some of my feelings contradict others. In no particular order:

-I have no problem with physical modesty as a general principle (I’m pretty neutral on it). My problem is that “modesty” seems to more often than not be wrapped up in fear of women’s sexuality. Furthermore, it seems that the burden for *men’s* sexual thoughts and behavior gets put on women. My understanding is that one of the reasons for headscarves is that uncovered hair is seen as sexually provocative in some parts of the world, much as uncovered breasts might be here. Different societies and cultures sexualize parts of women’s bodies – ankles, hair, breasts, etc. – and the burden inevitably then falls on women to keep those things covered to avoid inciting men’s lust. The notion that men should exercise self-control doesn’t seem to enter into the equation. 

- I do know that there are women who voluntarily cover themselves out of religious devotion or for related reasons. But in cultures and subcultures where women and their thoughts and feelings are devalued, how much freedom of choice does one truly have? It’s hard to know how much external or internalized pressure a woman may be under to conform to the wishes of her father, husband, family. I acknowledge that it’s hard for me to see this from any worldview but my own, but I find it hard to comprehend that hiding every inch of your skin is liberating.

- As an American, while on the one hand the freedom I value is at odds with the restrictions placed on women in traditional Muslim societies, that very same respect for freedom means that I am put off by laws of the sort that the French parliament passed. First of all, I do see it as infringing on the free practice of religion. Second of all, barring compelling reasons to the contrary, I think people should be allowed to dress as they like. I do not see any compelling reasons to ban the wearing of the niqab. There have been court cases in the U.S., I believe (or maybe in Canada? maybe both) where the issue of driver’s license photos of shrouded women has been examined. My feeling on that is that 1) driving is a privilege, not a right and 2) there is a compelling reason to be able to identify someone from their photo I.D. So those who argue that women should not be made to remove their veils for such photos don’t get much understanding from me. But other than that, I don’t believe the state has a right to dictate dress.

-That said, I realize I’m seeing this from my own cultural perspective; I mean, we ban the baring of certain body parts here in the U.S. I really don’t care if women go around topless, partly because I do see breasts as a body part that have just sort of been arbitrarily sexualized. I wouldn’t want to walk around topless, for any number of reasons, but I don’t care if other women do. As for going completely naked, I don’t see anything inherently wrong with it, but by the mores of our culture it’s not acceptable and I’m okay with that.

-Which may make me a hypocrite, because I suspect that to some degree the French ban has to do with the mores of their culture. European cultures have traditionally valued conformity a lot more than our individualistic American culture, and the French in particular seem zealous about protecting themselves from the influence of outside cultures (witness their attempts to eradicate English words from common usage). It’s pretty clear that this ban is tied up in the racial tensions that have plagued France for years now, and the troubles with the underclass of African and other immigrants, many of whom are Muslim. The racial element makes it ugly, but it also makes it kind of understandable. Even in non-conformist, maverick America, there are those who feel that we need an official language and fear that “others” are taking over and changing our cultural identity. So maybe we aren’t that different.

- I don’t have the same visceral distaste for French culture that I know a lot of Americans have, but I can’t help but be aware that France does have a history of prejudice against minorities – certainly there has been an ugly streak of anti-Semitism in French society for centuries.  That’s not to say that their culture is worse or more racist than others; it’s simply makes it hard to see the niqab ban in a neutral light.

As you can see, I’m pretty conflicted. What do you think? Is France going too far, or do they have the right idea?

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