On July 13, 2010, France passed a bill which abolished all burqas, headscarves, and helmets. This law applies to those who obscure their faces in public. The people of France and everybody, in general, should not wear a burqa for many reasons. The burqa creates many problems and issues such as safety, domestic violence, and the promotion of segregation. In the senate of France, 246 voted for the banning and only one voted against the banning. The burqa is unhealthy for France in general and should be banned, for information is so gruesome, the reader can tell that it was a reasonable decision in which France took action.
The wearing of the burqa is usually enforced through violence in which violates human rights. Not only does this go against human rights, it hurts the woman, who also happens to be a person. In 2003, a French survey discovered that 77% of the girls who wore a burqa or hijab, wore it because they were threatened. To some traditional Muslims, it is a grave crime for not wearing the headgear and the women were punished inhumanely, such as having acid thrown in their faces for not wearing it. Not only do they get punished physically, but also mentally. Many women in social media get blackmailed and threatened for not wearing a burqa in their pictures. The cases have been rising and intimidation spreads throughout the Muslim woman. As if being forced to wear a burqa was not enough, the Muslim women also experience domestic violence in which the burqa covers up.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, said earlier this year that the full veil, such as the niqab or the burqa, "hurts the dignity of women and is not acceptable in French society" (Aljazeera). In opposition to the critics' argument, Alveena Malik, a former faith adviser to the last Labour government , believes, Britain needs to take a different direction from others in Europe and to accept the veil as part of a modern British way of life(Ross). She also believes that the religious practice of the Islamic face veil should be a fundamental right. By giving Muslims the fundamental right of practicing their religion, it would give them the right to express their freedom and religion. If Britain decided to deprive the Muslims of their fundamental right like France did, then Britain would be trying to force the Muslims that participate in wearing the Islamic face veil to conform to their society like France as well. The government says that the reason for the ban on the Islamic face veil is because of security and the values or beliefs of the country in which the Muslims reside in. For instance: France says that the ban may cause France to be a target of terrorism. If France is concerned about the security of the citizens and knows that banning the Islamic face veil would cause a potential problem of terrorism, it seems like France would
Since the incident of 9/11 occurred, many people have debated over the Muslim faith and its practices. Muslim extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS have affected the name of Islam causing majority of Muslims to be blamed. Recently, a tragic event that occurred in Paris killing over a hundred people left the people of France shaken with fear and anger. These events have lead to an increasing amount of hate and tension towards Muslims all over the world from protests at mosques, where Muslims go to pray, and anti-Muslim rally’s. Islamophobia is a massive issue that has steered European counties like France to enforce laws that ban religious garments that Muslims wear such as the niqab and burqa. Some people perceive these garments to be
The anticipated law, whose purpose is to ban the use of the burqa and veil, finally took place in France. The ban started within school, and expanded into a restriction within the entire country. France drew international attention, questions, and opinions on the justification of this new law. Even though France’s main response to their justification of the ban is to preserve the French culture, the law also positively addresses other problems such as: religious freedom, public safety, and women’s rights.
Muslim women wear the veil for a variety of reasons, which vary from individual to individual and from culture to culture.
Banning the burqa has become increasingly deliberate since 2011 in France. The burqa ban is also known as a ban that is against women wearing all face coverings while out in public places in France. On April 11, 2011 the ban of the burqa went into effect. There has, however, been much debate on this matter. Women think that the ban is discrimination to them, but on the other end, France believes that it will be a good thing for the country and the violence in the country. This ban was taken into court by an Islamic woman, who would only go by the name of S.A.S. This ban actually prevents the women from being abused and will help with the safety around the community. This ban was not meant to be discriminating or take any religious freedoms. Based off of evidence, France, the Defendant of the case has the right to ban the burqa from wear because of safety reasons.
The article Behind the Ban by Ash Garton Timothy argues in his opinion women in France should be able to make their own choice of wearing burkas even though it is unnecessary. Ash states three arguments in his article which are that burkas are a threat to public safety, criminals can be wearing burkas to cause harm, and burkas attract voter back from the xenophobic far right. Many people may think that these women fathers and husbands make them wear these to not show anything, but in reality the women feel more comfortable with them. Ash explains that a study done by the Open Society Foundation, “Report in-depth interviews with 32 women who wear the full- face veil in France. All but two say they are the first members of their family to do so, and almost all insist this was a matter of free personal choice” (Ash). Almost all the women in France say that they wear the burkas for their spiritual journey; it is their way of protesting for their sexuality. Ash states from Vivi, 39, South of France, “‘For us it’s a way of saying that we are not a piece of meat in a stall, we are not commodity’” (Ash). Getting treated like a product is something really hurtful. No matter what race you are everyone should have respect for each other. Concluding he say “Let us defend free speech against violent Islamist intimidation” (Ash). If someone is not white it does not mean that they are criminals or are capable of cause
The banning of the burqa has become an issue in many places, including France. The French Parliament has decided it is time to ban the burqa in public. They believe is a sign of the subjugation and submission of women to males. Some believe it is used to cover up abuse and they also believe it is unfair to the public that citizens cannot see the women’s faces. However it is unfair for these women to be banned from wearing what they choose as just everyone else does.The banning of the burqa should not be allowed because it is discriminatory towards Muslim women and violates their freedom of religion and their freedom to express themselves.
Under the PROTECT-US Act of 2017 section two prohibits the wearing of a burqa, except in a private residence. This section violates the 1st amendment, under the 1st amendment, it clarifies freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. By prohibiting women the right to wear a burqa it denotes Although section two violates the first amendment, the Free Exercise Clause protects citizens' right to practice their religion. As long as the practice
Often women were abused by their husbands and the burka would hide the damage the husband did to his wife. Since the only way for women to get out of a relationship was through proving they were abused it was nearly impossible for them to prove they were abused. But if a woman felt that she could prove her case she would go in front of a court to prove her circumstances. The man’s word was thought to be more reliable, however, so the woman would not be allowed to get the divorce unless her case was proven. Even in some cases when the woman proved her abuse the court would side with the man. This just goes to show just how much power a man in Muslim society had over his wife. If a woman tried to beat her husband, however, they would get in trouble with the law. They would often be beaten to death if these rules were not satisfied. The man was also able to divorce the woman in these circumstances as well because the men’s wishes were granted in many marriages because of their superiority. When a man would divorce his wife though it was a major issue for the woman because she would be left with no land and
“Whipping, beating, and verbal abuse of women not clothed in accordance with Taliban rules…” (RAWA restriction 7). The reality of the burqa for some women, is that burqas are the symbolism of violence and abuse. Sanaubar is shown to be a victim to this abuse, when her burqa is removed as Hassan’s house. Cuts and scars are
A nun can be covered from head to toe in order to devote herself to god. But when a Muslim woman does the same she is being oppressed. It may be argued that wearing a burqa benefits only a few and brings more harm than good to society. The real question is who does it harm? That should be the basis for banning this piece of clothing, not one based on fear or an arguably feeble argument that the women do not have a choice. To say that a ban on a specific item like this is undemocratic is an understatement. Following the French senate’s unanimous vote in favour of banning the burqa in late 2010, many European and western countries including Belgium and Spain have made the decision to take the
When I was introduced to the topic of France’s ban on the veil, I disagreed with the law. I took a position based on my customs as an American citizen, which differs completely from those of France. International critics began to argue that France is violating what people call “Freedom of Religion,” which I agreed with at first. As a foreigner from America, I am accustomed to the American government’s definition of freedom of religion. Protected by the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise.” (Religious Freedom). You can express your religion in public, during church, mass, or religious meetings. So the presence of religious items such as the burqa's and veil do not disturb the people or government.
Here in the United States, some individuals think that by wearing a hijab you are you enforcing the belief that Muslim women are being forced to wear one despite the reason that some of these women wear it’s a sign of freedom. Therefore, it appears that to some women, the veil is unjust; while other women feel it is not unjust but a decision they made on their own in dedication to their religion. Still, for many women especially the ones in Western countries, they have no choice and for that reason alone, they are being made to wear a
On the beaches of Cannes, France, three Muslim women and their families decided to go for a swim on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. These families were enjoying the beautiful day building sandcastles and collecting seashells. When all of a sudden, a French officer asks the women to change out of their swimwear (“Nice” 2). These women were wearing a more modest swimsuit called the burkini. The burkini is a swimsuit designed for Muslim women, to allow them to go to the beach while still adhering to their modest religious morals. The French officer asked them to take off their swimsuit, leave, or be fined thirty eight Euros (2). The officer claimed the “the burkini isn’t keeping with the ideal social relations” (2). These women are being discriminated against due to the recent attack on Bastille Day in France that left 86 people dead by a radical Islamic group called ISIS. This is discrimination on a mass population due to an attack made by a few extremists. This discrimination is a problem all Muslims are facing across the world, but more specifically in America. These people need a voice and that voice needs to be heard. America has a history of discrimination and we often think that it is just that: history; however, our country is facing a discrimination onslaught aimed at
Burqa bans are unlawfully stripping Muslim women of their right to follow and show their commitment to their religion. Many countries in the United Nations are beginning to put a nationwide ban on wearing burqas in public. This restricts Islamic women by giving them the choice to either defy their religion, or stay inside their house and not get anything done. Not only does this restrict daily activities, but it makes it challenging for islamic women to get a quality education. Overall, countries are putting a national ban on niqabs, forcing muslim women to betray their religious beliefs in order to perform simple activities.