February 12 , 2010
Should France Ban the Burqa?
France, which banned headscarves in public classrooms five years ago, is now debating whether to ban the burqa in all public places. The burqa is the well-known all-covering garment worn by some Muslim women. It covers even the face with just some slits through which the wearer can see the outside world.
The burqa was made infamous by the Taliban which required all women to wear it in public in the years before 9/11 when they ruled most of Afghanistan. They enforced this rule with public floggings and beatings of women who did not comply. To many observers, both non-Muslims and Muslims of a moderate or liberal bent, to see a woman in a burqa creates a sharp feeling of separation, mystery, and disquiet. Clearly, any woman wearing a burqa is totally separating herself from mainstream society in a Western country.
The French consider the burqa to represent an act of oppression toward the woman, and to be a threat to the integration of Islam into France. The French government is willing to integrate Islam into France, in fact it has little choice but to do so. There are five million Muslims, making up 10% of France’s population, and this will rise steadily over the next 30 years. Integrating these millions is a national priority of the French government.
The French see conservative Islam to be a major impediment to integration. Muslim practices that support separation of the Muslim population from the mainstream are seen as threatening, as are practices that prevent Muslim women from entering French society. For these reasons the French went so far as to ban the headscarf in public schools, and now are looking to ban the burqa.
The actual number of burqa wearers in France is quite small, and appears to be around 2,000. Some portion of these are even French converts to Islam. But the numbers have been trending up and the French want to totally get rid of this practice.
Critics of the French policy proposal complain that it is an assault on freedom of religion. Muslim women should be allowed to wear whatever they want as part of their religious faith and identity. But is this really a matter of freedom of religion?
The vast majority of Muslims realize that there is nothing required about wearing a burqa. There is no Qur’anic verse that details what should and should not be shown in public. In fact there is only one verse in the Qur’an that touches on the issue and does so in a very general way. Muslims, both men and women, should dress modestly. Beyond that, there is huge room for interpretation, but there is no way one can conclude that it is required to wear a burqa. For that matter, there is no Qur’anic argument that Muslim women are required to cover their hair in public. That is mostly a political statement that has gained fashion in the last few decades, but is not solidly based in the Qur’an. The one Hadith that many supporters cite to back up this view is of dubious authenticity.
But if some Muslims genuinely believe that a burqa is required, should they not be allowed to wear one? It is just not that simple. When we choose to live in a society, we do have to accept its rules, as long as they are not forcing us into sin. In France, Muslims cannot practice polygamy or keep slaves, both of which are permitted by the Qur’an. A Muslim woman can comply with the absolute requirements of the Qur’an without wearing the burqa.
The French also claim they are supporting the freedom of the woman by banning the burqa. It is probably safe to say that many women who wear it are not doing it of their own true free will. By banning the burqa, it gives these women a chance to participate more openly in the society they live in without having to defy those relatives that want to force the burqa upon them.
While banning the burqa may make marginal difference in the overall scheme of things, France needs to be much more serious about integration. A real integration plan would focus on raising the education level of the Muslim population, especially university education, and moving to integrate Muslims into the professions, business, and academic life of France. For Muslims in France, these too should be their goals and focus, and not defending the right of some women to wander the streets in a shroud.
