Preview

Veil Ban in France Essay Example

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1279 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Veil Ban in France Essay Example
France- making public their intolerance of Islam.
Tuesday the 13th of July 2010 was another day in the history of attacks against the Muslim Ummah. It is on this date the first stages of banning the veil were cleared by the majority of MPs in France. French MPs decided to ban full length veils in public, making it an offence for Muslim women to wear the veil in a public area. If caught doing so Muslims will be made to pay a fine of 150 Euros (currently over £100).
This is not the first violation of rights that the Muslim community of France has had to endure. On the 2nd of September 2004 the banning of the hijab (headscarf) was enforced in state schools. This act was a direct violation of the very ‘human rights’ that the West prides itself upon, where obedient Muslim women were denied the rights of education. Those with sound reasoning will question the reasons behind this, what threat or security risk can a headscarf possibly pose? Does wearing it hinder the learning experience in any way? No, rather the headscarf serves the purpose of covering ones hair, shoulders and chest – not affecting the brain or ability to think in any way! Such excuses of hindrance and security put forward to defend the banning of the headscarf and veil only bring to light the fallacy and bias stance of the French government. Be it the excuse of causing a hindrance, inequality or oppression, neither of the excuses for the ban hold up for those who have the ability to think for themselves. Rather the bias views and the discrimination against Muslims, becomes evident by passing such policies and legislations, this article will further highlight the hypocrisy of France when it comes to Muslims and Islam.
The veil ban is proposed to occur in schools, hospitals, government offices and on public transport. Thus, denying the Muslim woman the right to freely travel about the country, seek medical treatment and receive education.
France states that a woman covering her face goes against

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Anne Applebaum’s "Veiled Insult" first appeared in the Washington Post in 2006. In this essay, Applebaum aims to convince her readers that it is disrespectful for Muslim women to wear their headscarves or niqabs (full bodied cloak) in our western society, just as it is disrespectful for our women to go to their society uncloaked. In delivering her message she also brings to attention the political issue of whether or not it is religious discrimination to allow, or not allow muslim women to wear their cloaks, and in the end she gives us her opinion, “it isn’t religious discrimination or anti-Muslim bias to tell her that she must be polite to the natives, respect the local customs, try to speak some of the local patois -- and uncover her face.” Applebaum uses her personal experiences combined with her American worldview to convince her readers (the American public) that for Muslim women to wear their cloaks in American culture is disrespectful and insensitive. Although those techniques may have worked, her strongest argument is perhaps playing on the emotions of the still sensitive and emotionally scarred, post 9/11…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Naheed Mustafa, a young Muslim who began to wear the hijab once she blossomed out of her teenage years, finds it difficult to apprehend the fact as to why society views her differently compared to other girls her age. Due to the mere fact that she wears a hijab, she gets a “whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances.” Because she lives in Canada, which adapts the Western culture, wearing a hijab is not very common. Because of this Naheed and many others like her, are often viewed as outcasts and treated differently. This takes a huge toll on one’s identity which can be either negative or positive. However, Naheed abides by her choices and wishes to make a positive change out of it.…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    By humanizing homelessness people can be compelled to effect change in their community. Change can alter the opinion of people or influence someone to act differently in their everyday life. Authors, Anna Quindlen in “Homeless,” and Barbara Lazear Ascher in “On Compassion,” emphasize the human aspect of change; however Quindlen is more effective in compelling people to change their ideas about homelessness because of her passionate and inspiring, she doesn’t defy in persuading change and making the reader see differently and create new aspects.…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Garments were arranged to display the patterns and quality of fabrics on all layers and add bulk to the body image. The more former the occasion or higher the status of the weaver, the more layers worn, with richer materials further indicating wealth.” Explained in Charlotte Jirousek article Islamic Clothing. Wearing the hijab was crucial while in public due to the exposer of the body. Any woman that was unveiled was viewed by men as a naked woman. Women should be covered to protect what is considered the men’s property at all times unless around immediate family in their homes. That is why “Women wear the Hijab around strangers (especially males) that they do not consider as part of their family. It is believed that this lessens the chance of them having bad thoughts about them, this includes sexual desires. They believe that the external part of a person is not important but what it inside.” Said in the article Why Do Woman Wear Hijab, Maureen. Women started to adapt to their cultural upbringings, they believed this was a way to keep themselves treasured. Some Islamic woman seen no harm in this, they didn’t feel as if the men dominated them, or were obeying them as their property. They felt as if all women should feel the need to be veiled so they’re not perceived as just a sex object. They would like men to be attentive to their personalities and mind not their looks. Today, women have more of a choice to be veiled. There are a lot of women who use the hijab and not the gown due to the evolving changes in fashion and liberal few points. They feel that it denies the women the freedom to decide on their own…

    • 1451 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In some cases, the existence and the enforcement of secularism in states religious freedom impossible. In many republican states that deploy strong secularism, public visibility of religion is strongly prohibited. For example, in the case of France, women are not allowed to wear religious headscarf to public buildings such as the libraries and schools. This is a clear violation of religious freedom because Muslim women are now unable to keep their religious obligations because of the state’s strong emphasis on secularism.…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In early America there were several colonies but the ones that stood out the most were the New England Colonies and the Virginia colony. There were many differences, for example, New England colonies were full of families while the Virginia colony was mostly dominated by males. They mostly had differences and had few things in common.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Other types of head coverings that are the most recognizable include the niqab and the burqa. Both of these coverings completely conceal the hair and portions of the face but are slightly different. The burqa is recognized as a symbol of Islam around the world and wrongly associated with fundamentalist Muslim governments. A burqa is a garment that covers the body, head, and face. The wearer is able to see through a mesh panel in front of the face, but the fabric is thick enough that outside viewers cannot see the wearer’s face. The niqab is similar to the burqa because it conceals the head and body, but instead of a mesh panel in front of the face, there is a small slit that reveals the wearer’s eyes while the rest of the face is hidden by another piece of fabric. Although burqas have been required by some past extremist governments, they should not continue to be symbols of negativity for Muslim women. In order for the negative stereotypes involving Muslim head coverings to disappear, French society must understand that all Muslims do not represent terror groups or the fundamentalist side of the…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Secondly, we also been conditioned to believe that a veiled woman is an oppressed woman. In truth women choose to wear or not wear their veils out of religious piety and social preference. These veils can also be used as a “tool of resistance” (Sensoy and Marshall, 124) “Women of Afghanistan documented the Taliban’s crimes against girls and women by hiding video cameras under their burqas and transformed the burqa from simply a marker of oppression to a tool of…

    • 1751 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Persepolis

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Islamic religion decided to add a few rules and regulations. They became very strict and ‘to point’ as to which accessories you were allowed to wear.”In 1979, a revolution took place.It was later called the Islamic revolution.Then came 1980:the year it became obligatory to wear the veil at school.” It helps me understand the reason they demanded every woman to wear the veil.…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A series of civic laws in approximately 30 French towns have banned burkinis, a type of swimsuit for women designed to cover the whole body except the face, hands, and feet. The ban also covers any other skin concealing beach outfits worn by Muslim women. The bans are largely due to the recent horrific terror attacks in Nice and Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. Some also argue that burkinis cause a hygiene issue.…

    • 399 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ultimately, the debate struck in 2004 when the secularist country of France forbade students in state-run schools to display any form of religious symbols. The bans of religious affiliated garments, such as the veil, escalated from schools to now being in public settings. The law was finalized in April 2011, “prohibiting the concealment of one’s face in public places” (Grand Chamber). Although the law was passed nationally for France and Belgium, other countries in Europe such as Italy are following the same route in banning the covering of faces in public. Many people still choose to wear it because they believe it is their human right to do so.…

    • 1434 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Muslim’s have always been faced with struggles in their lives, especially when entering into the United States. They are a popular minority group in America that is strongly discriminated against. They face every day struggles that make their lives that much more difficult. Muslim women in particular is what I am going to be discussing in my research paper. Women in general, are still being discriminated against in the world today, but being a Muslim women in America, has unthinkable consequences and daily hardships that many of us American’s could not begin to understand. Along with the everyday stereotypes they face because they are Muslim, they also face, ignorance about Islam, gender-based discrimination, violence, fear, and discrimination about their clothing (head covering).…

    • 3795 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    With another outrage that happened not too long ago with Muslim women in Australia wearing their religious significance – the Burqa which is an outer garment worn in public covering majority of their bodies.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 2010, the controversial Bill 94 was introduced in Quebec. The bill would prohibit women wearing the niqab from accessing any public service and would allow them to be denied access to schools, non-emergency healthcare, daycare facilities, courtrooms and more. Furthermore, government employees would be banned from wearing the niqab to work. The Quebec government is petitioning to ban the niqab because they claim it is a symbol of oppression, that women only wear if forced by a male, and that their needs to be a law to protect women from being oppressed by male relatives. However, many women who choose to wear the niqab who have spoken to the media that what they wear was in fact their choice, (Reynolds, 2010). While only approximately 100…

    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Negative Liberty In Canada

    • 1248 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This initially sparked controversy when there was a flurry of reaction to Stephen Harper's remarks on Twitter. The most popular Islamic clothing is a hijab that covers the head-and-shoulders; piece of cloth that covers the face, and the niqab that covers the entire face with the exception of few countries like Saudi Arabia where it is the law to wear the niqab. However, it is entirely up to Muslim women whether they choose to wear it or not. This situation is best described according to Isaiah Berlin’s “two concepts of liberty” (Swift 2014, 58-60).…

    • 1248 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays