French Burqa Ban – A positive step forward?

As a non-burqa-wearing woman, perhaps it is a bit rich of me to be commenting on the latest Burqa Ban controversy in France, but the ban could prove to be a positive step for young Muslim women.

Much as I disagree with President Nicholas Sarkozy of France, and loathe the political expediency of his comments (I can’t recall anything positive he’s ever said about Muslim women), I think it would be rash to dismiss out of hand his comments that "the issue of the burqa is not a religious issue, it is a question of freedom and of women's dignity. It is a sign of the subjugation, the submission of women."

Of course the burqa is merely a piece of cloth that women can CHOOSE to wear. It is a cultural symbol and one that identifies the wearer as an adherent of a particular faith. Muslim women who choose to wear the burqa speak of the liberation they feel - no longer judged by their appearance, but more on what they actually have to say. The dress is demure and does not attract attention nor does it entice lustful thoughts or glances.Your wardrobe becomes much smaller. Indeed, you can stop worrying about how you look all together. An antithesis of the West’s preoccupation with body image, the burqa could be viewed as a liberating device. But only if everyone wore it.

So, what happens if you don’t want to wear it? Your family and your friends will undoubtedly pressurise you, with sweet words or unkind ones. Peer pressure being what it is, you’ll get labelled as a "bad" Muslim if you choose not to wear it. And yet, you don’t reach maturity until eighteen - so why not ban the burqa in schools and colleges (as France currently does), allowing women their freedom of choice once they pass this magic age. By then, hopefully, you’ll have your arguments (for and against) all worked out.

I decided to draw up a Pros & Cons list of wearing the burqa:

Pros

• Liberation from your looks
• Demure and understated appearance
• Observance of your faith
• Freedom of choice
• Conformity
• Smaller wardrobe
• Strong cultural identity

Cons

• Peer pressure to conform
• Subjugation to family wishes
• Subordination of your viewpoint
• Alienation in the workplace
• Isolation
• Invisibility
• Discrimination
• Loss of power
• Loss of personal identity

Burqa and the issue of Women’s empowerment

Sadly, all too often the burqa issue becomes entwined with the issue of women’s empowerment. There are many Muslim sects that eschew the burqa completely - the Ismaili, Bhora & Sindhi communities for example - and yet these same communities are "hot" on women’s education and empowerment. Having discussed this issue with Councillor Nargis Khan from the London Borough of Hackney, I can see why Muslim women are fed up with debating the hijab/niqab/burqa* issue (* delete as appropriate). Most, like Nargis, would much rather talk about the positive things the Government is doing on the issue of women’s empowerment.

Now, if only I could find something to write about there.