By With every new year comes new goals. We look to the new year for change and growth. So, to motivate ourselves, we often do something dramatic.
This year, Europe’s middle child, France, started the new year by passing another law attacking hijab. France is now banning Muslim women from wearing the hijab in sports competitions. This is just another example of France’s continued assault on Muslim women and their right to wear hijab.
France’s senate first passed a bill that banned girls under 18 from wearing their hijab in public. Additionally, they passed a nationwide ban on wearing niqabs in public. These laws are backed and supported by the far-right conservative party Les Republicains, and supported by President Macron.
They claim that these laws help promote secularism and protect women’s rights. They also claim overt displays of religions are not in line with “French values” and if allowed, might encourage organizations to promote a certain religion over another.
They claim that these laws help promote secularism and protect women’s rights. They also claim overt displays of religions are not in line with “French values” and if allowed, might encourage organizations to promote a certain religion over another.
The passage of this law comes a year after France strengthened oversight at mosques, schools, and sports clubs to identify and root out “radical Islamist behaviors.” Let’s not shy away from calling these laws out for what they really are: a classic Islamophobic Euro-political move towards isolating the local Muslim community under the guise of feminism and public safety.
France’s obsession with the hijab and controlling it can be traced back through history to its imperialist roots. In 1830, France invaded Algeria and established a colonial state marred by a violent genocide.
France would offer Algerian natives’ citizenship only if they renounced their religion, took off their veil, and adopted French culture. During Algeria’s War of Independence, many Muslim Algerian women had their veils forcibly removed by French women in public unveiling ceremonies.
They claimed they were “freeing oppressed Muslim women.” Algerian natives who fought against the French kept their veils, and it became a symbol of resistance against colonialism.
France’s colonial roots combined with the rise of terror attacks in the last few years all have contributed to the rise of Islamophobia in the country. They are doing anything they can to try to create more conformity in the country, and the hijab is standing in their way.
With the rise of a more conservative senate and an upcoming election, politics is a massive force driving this legislation. President Macron, who comes from the La Republique En Marche party that is traditionally promoting more progressive ideologies, has aligned themselves with the conservative party Les Republicains.
President Macron is doing what many politicians do when they are afraid of their re-election prospects: sacrifice their morals and values to ensure their seat is not taken.
Let’s not shy away from calling these laws out for what they really are: a classic Islamophobic Euro-political move towards isolating the local Muslim community under the guise of feminism and public safety.
The crux of the argument supporting this legislation is that it is promoting feminism and is protecting women’s rights. This is ironic because feminism is about giving women equal opportunities and choices as each other.
If you are taking away a woman’s right to choose to wear the hijab, is that really feminism when you are attacking the choice she made? Every woman should have the right to choose how they want to dress. Every woman should have the right to choose what to do with their body. This is bodily autonomy and agency; both values that feminism promotes.
This legislation is anything but liberation and freedom for Muslim women. Instead, Muslim women are faced with the dilemma of “Do I take off my hijab so I can go to school, play sports, or take public transportation? Or do I keep my hijab and try to navigate my way through society?”
While I can’t tell you what the right is, I can tell you that Muslim women should not be forced to contemplate this in the first place. French politicians claim this legislation promotes French values and secularism, but this is just isolating Muslim women who wear the hijab.
How can you feel accepted by a community that wants you to change yourself to fit in? If French values require you to strip your culture, religion, and identity to adopt that of the country’s majority…well, that sounds a lot more utilitarian than progressive to me.
History is repeating itself. France’s colonial ideology has persisted in the form of neoconservative political ideologies that run campaigns off of fearmongering and a fake sense of nationalism.
Muslims in France have found support from both Muslim and non-Muslim communities. The legislation has been condemned by Catholic and Jewish religious leaders alike. The community needs this support, but until the legislation is overturned, it will continue to make life difficult for Muslim women. We support you and stand in solidarity with you. We hope these trying times bring strength and renewal.