TWO LINK:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xek6fo_why-i-wear-the-hijab-muslim-women-s_webcam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIdI5ReoR0A
On Monday,
France implemented a controversial ban on the face-covering veils worn by some
Muslim women, which are referred to there as burqa or niqab. Women who continue
to wear the veils are subject to steep fines if cited. The French government defends the ban
as promoting sexual equality, while critics have called it a blatant appeal to
anti-Muslim voters. Meanwhile, there has been mixed reaction from Muslim women as the ban is debated
around the world.
KPCC intern Yasmin
Nouh, a recent graduate of UC Irvine who herself is Muslim and
wears hijab,
the traditional head scarf, interviewed three prominent Muslim women in
California on reaction to the ban. She spoke with Hadeer Soliman, vice
president of the Muslim
Student Union at UC Irvine; Edina Lekovic, director of policy and
programming for the Muslim Public
Affairs Council in Los Angeles; and Zahra Billoo, executive director of the
San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Here’s what they had
to say about the burqa ban, how it affects Muslim women here, and broader
concerns they see surrounding it.
Q: What has the
reaction been amongst Muslim women that you interact with regarding the new
law?
Hadeer: The reaction
amongst Muslim women varies, but I think a common sentiment is that this law
denies women in France the right to choose what to wear. The new law will not
create a “moderate” Islam, as some French officials claim it will; rather, it
alienates and and infringes on the rights of a significant portion of the
French population.
Edina: The vast
majority of Muslim women I know are wholly against burqas or niqabs because
they have no religious foundation in the Quran. They’re based on a hyper-strict
interpretation of the Quran, not on what it says in the text at all. That said,
they uniformly oppose the French government’s decision to ban them because it
sends a completely counterproductive message to French Muslims and French
society.
Banning burqas –
just like banning books – will only make them more popular as a symbol of
resistance. If the goal is to encourage integration of Muslim immigrants into
French society, creating opportunities for participation and empowerment is the
answer, not excluding and fining people based on how they dress.
Zahra: Many of the
Muslim women I have spoken to about the new law are concerned. The general
sentiment is that women should have the right to choose what to wear, be it as
little or as much as they please. This law, under the guise of protecting and
liberating them, actually harms women.
Q. Do Muslim women in the U.S. feel affected by this law?
In what way? If so, how has that manifested?
Hadeer: Although the
law does not directly affect Muslim women in the U.S., the sentiment it creates
certainly does. There’s currently a rise in Islamophobia in the U.S., and news
of this recent ban of the face covering in Europe is a testament to a similar
Islamophobia in Europe. While I personally don’t choose to cover my face, the
chilling effect of dictating how individuals dress does make me (and others,
Muslims and non-Muslims) question the motives for such a destructive law and
wonder what the next step is in the government telling its citizens what to
wear.
Edina: It’s difficult
to watch this kind of insult and marginalization of any minority population
based on their religious practice. When I talk to other Muslim women, what I
hear over and over again is that we have to continue going out there and
speaking for ourselves and for the rights of all people to choose and practice
their own faith and expressions of their faith. For Muslim American women we
have to speak for ourselves and represent what Muslim women are really like and
how we’re contributing to our communities and our country.
Zahra: Less with this
law specifically, and more so with the general rise in anti-Muslim sentiment
and legislation coming out of Europe, there is a concern that the trend will
spread.
Q. What kinds of
action, if any, are Muslim women, or the Muslim community in general, taking
regarding the new law?
Hadeer: Firstly, many
women are raising awareness about the new law through social networking
websites like Facebook. By posting articles and sharing their opinions, they
hope to inform others on why such a law has negative consequences. There have
been demonstrations in the past against the proposal of the Niqab/Burqa ban,
but I don’t know of any upcoming demonstrations. Generally, the idea would be
to raise awareness about the destructive nature of denying a woman the right to
decide for herself how she dresses and to both demand an end to this law and
ensure that no similar laws are passed elsewhere.
Edina: I’m not aware
of any actions that are taking place.
Zahra: In the past,
and more specifically with laws limiting the head veil, American Muslim women
worked to organize protests and raise international human rights concerns. I
have not seen any such organizing on this issue. It may be because a) the face
veil ban impacts fewer women and/or b) people are in crisis fatigue.
Q: The law in
France is not the first of its kind. A ban against hijab (not even niqab) has
taken place across various parts of Europe and even in Turkey. Given the rise
of Islamophobia in the United States, specifically in the political arena, are
Muslim women concerned with such a law being implemented, let alone considered,
in the U.S.?
Hadeer: Hijab bans
across Europe and in Turkey are certainly concerning because they are a
testament to the rise of Islamophobia. In the U.S., where elected officials can
make racist comments against Muslims and not receive any political or social
backlash, Islamophobia and its dangerous consequences are concerning. Recently
in Yorba Linda, Councilwoman Deborah Pauly called for the killing of Muslims
with no apology. American Muslims have called for her to step down because of
her comments. (Rep.) Peter King’s Homeland Security hearings also drew
Americans’ attention to the hatred and bigotry that exists in America.
As an American
Muslim, I’m worried to see us move in the direction of targeting people because
of their religious beliefs. Hate is a threat to democracy, and it’s important
for us to stand up against that.
Edina: Luckily, this
kind of law is very unlikely in the U.S. because of our core values and right
of religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution. The law does send a
chilling message from a Western country in its treatment of its Muslim
population.
The burqa ban
will likely be understood by Muslims as an outright rejection of their faith
and their status as French citizens. I’m just glad that we know better here in
the U.S. — our democratic values guarantee freedom of religious practice,
including the right to choose how we dress.
Zahra: I believe the
concern we see in American Muslim women goes specifically to the hate and
general rhetoric that comes with anti-hijab and anti-niqab efforts in Europe,
which is similar to anti-mosque activities in the U.S. I don’t know that there
is an actual concern about hijab and niqab bans here, but rather a fear of the
sentiment or rhetoric which accompanies those movements manifesting in
different ways here.
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