France to Burkas: No.
By Jiun Kwon
The French National Assembly is launching an inquiry into whether the wearing of burkas by Muslim women in France poses a threat to the ‘secular nature of the French constitution’. A day earlier, President Nicolas Sarkozy declared the garment ‘not welcome’ in France:
“The problem of the burka is not a religious problem. This is an issue of a woman’s freedom and dignity. This is not a religious symbol. It is a sign of subservience; it is a sign of lowering. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France… We cannot accept in our country women trapped behind a fence, cut off from social life, deprived of any identity. This is not the idea that we have of a woman’s dignity…”
I am a staunch supporter of secular government, and certainly agree with and appreciate the sentiment and eloquence of President Sarkozy’s statement. But the introduction of a restriction like this, even in a country as seemingly progressive as France, can also be troubling.
Sarkozy wisely frames this as a women’s issue, though it is clearly not enough to quiet protests of religious persecution. And reaction in France is mixed, with French Muslim leaders criticizing the inquiry as ‘a way of stigmatizing Islam and the Muslims of France.’ Not surprising. To many, the inquiry is basically religious oppression by way of feminism… or -to speak in hyperbolic terms- government sanctioned atheism. A move like this has the potential to become emblematic of government insertion into individual private life. And this is where it gets tricky, on a number of levels. A ban would provide a certain amount of protection and cover for Muslim women who are forced or pressured to wear the garment, without choice. But it does so by taking it away.
Enter mental paralysis.
Perhaps it’s excessive and France may be overstepping their bounds. But… maybe it’s just impatience… and totally understandable. Here, in the states, we wait in frustration as large masses of the country hem and haw about how they ‘feel’ about gay marriage, while same-sex couples everywhere just want to get on with their fucking lives. The overwhelming feeling is, ‘Just shut up and get on board!’ Should these women be made to wait, as well? How unreasonable is it for a government to say: We don’t have time to squabble over your faith. We have a country to run.
Thoughts?
