This morning I came across a NYT article titled, French Muslims Say Veil Bans Give Cover to Bias.

Um, yes.

In 2011 France banned the full-face Islamic veil in public places, and muslim headscarves- like all religious symbols- were been banned in schools back in 2004.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose administration was responsible for the ban against full veils, argued that he was taking a stand for women’s rights:

"The problem of the burka is not a religious problem, it's a problem of liberty and women's dignity. It's not a religious symbol, but a sign of subservience and debasement. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France. In our country, we can't accept women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. That's not our idea of freedom."

At the time I thought it was a compelling argument because I believed it was genuine and not based in prejudice. However, it had (at least) one major flaw, and I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier.  In banning the veil the government took away women’s right to choose for themselves, essentially treating them like children with a “we know best” attitude. That is the exact opposite of promoting gender equality. The irony!

Women who wear the Islamic veil do so for many reasons. And while there are likely some who might prefer not to, the responsibility falls on them to make that choice for themselves. The role of the government is simply to ensure that the choice remains the individual's, and no one else’s.

As we live in an increasingly globalized world we’ll continue to be confronted with other cultures that don’t match our own. Sometimes our differences will make us uncomfortable, and that’s ok- we need to accept that these differences exist, and find a way to respectfully coexist.

I would go crazy if the government presumed to tell me how I should dress or express my religious beliefs, as I believe a lot of people would. Even if there are good intentions behind it, there’s no hiding the fact that this kind of targeting is blatant discrimination, not to mention incredibly condescending.

We should always stand up for those who are being oppressed or harmed, so long as we take the time to understand the issue and ensure the help is wanted and needed. What you might view as oppression, I might view as expression- and vice-versa.  Our views don’t necessarily match up with the views of others, and we must learn to respect that. On this issue, I believe if a woman wants to wear a veil or a heascarf she should be allowed-as long as it is the woman's own choice, not a government's or a society's. 

Header image via Shutterstock

Editorial

Demand Equity

Why it's sometimes better to mind your own business

By Christina Nuñez