Religious Face Covers

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In 2011, the French banning of religious face coverings caused much controversy within the Muslim community. This brings several questions to the table, such as cultural relativism, or understanding a culture, rather than judging. Veils, burkas, or niqabs, are the covering of either the face or the body of many Muslim women. Face coverings can be seen from several different perspectives. “To some, it is a sign of oppression and cultural separatism; to others, it is an exercise in modesty, pious devotion, and even self-expression.” (Everett etal. 2015: 91) Many Muslims, and French people alike, feel as if this ban is unnecessary and is religiously targeted which coincides with shocking news stories of the treatment of Muslims in France. However, the law is still in place today, and a large number of individuals hold the banning of face coverings in high regard. This ban started slowly, in 2004, with religious symbols being banned in school. Even recently, Muslim prayer space being limited. Several Muslim women even enjoy not having to wear a veil, since the face covering makes it easier for them to be spotted in a crowd. However, some women choose to wear the coverings, since it is a part of their religion that holds importance to them. This brings up several inquiries for the French culture and their opposing ideas as well as the beliefs of the Muslim people. Two centuries ago, the French fought a bloody civil war to overthrow monarchy and to seperate church from state. Today, France defines itself by the secular institutions that have been put into place. These deep embedded ideals of secularism or “Laïcité” in French culture have led to some unwavering views about what religious freedom means and how one's belief systems should be carried out in public life. In 2004, the French government placed a ban on the wearing of any religious items in all schools which lead to many Muslim girls to be kicked out of school. Then, in 2010, the laws were taken to the next level. The new laws prevented the covering of one's face in public making it illegal for Muslim women to wear burqas or niqabs in public areas. While both of these laws do not claim to be religiously or racially targeted towards Muslims, there are many who believe that these laws have been put into place as a backlash to the growing amount of Muslims and immigrants coming into the country in recent years. Along with this racially targeted law, “Prejudice and discrimination against Muslims has increased dramatically in the last decade.” (Everett etal. 2015: 90.) Many Muslim women choose not to wear veils because of this reason. When a woman wears a veil, it becomes more apparent that she is Muslim, making her more vulnerable to racism and attacks. The article, Covered in stigma? The impact of differing levels of Islamic head-covering on explicit and implicit biases toward Muslim women, explains that Muslim women have a higher risk to being attacked than men and their chances of being attacked are greatly increased if they have a veil on because of the stereotypes of the Muslim people. Several studies have been conducted, specifically on face/head coverings, which show bias towards women who do not wear the covering. In these studies, women who wore a veil to a job interview, or in …show more content…
Many hold the ban in high regard, however the ban is unnecessary and offensive. Many Muslim women actually choose to wear their veils for religious reasons. These women are interested in their culture, and while it is not a large percent, it is not right to reprimand those who wear the veils for pride in the religion. The banning of face coverings can be seen as racist, xenophobic and ethnocentric. These goes against France’s way of their desire to be a diverse society. It can also be seen as a violation of religious freedom. The slow banning of religious symbols to now, clothing, is a scary subject, because what is next, could be even more offensive and disrespectful to one’s culture. While many people believe that this ban is for the good, to get rid of violence and fear others believe the treatment of Muslims in France is something to be taken seriously. The violation of religious freedom is serious and if it continues, the world will not

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