10/29/2013 Doho & Weiss

Assimilation of Immigrants in France: laffaire du foulard

Immigration has become a big issue in France throughout the years, as has the issue of assimilation. As more and more immigrant groups resettle in France, there is a greater push to assimilate the different groups into French culture, and that includes the issue of religious wear, more specifically, the covering of the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, in French public schools and whether France is suppressing the religion by banning the wear of the religious symbols. The main question is: did France have the right to take away a religious groups right to display their religious symbols, although they have the Right to Freedom of Religion?

In 1989, three Muslim girls wore their hijab or foulard to school and were sent home when they chose to wear the headscarves instead of taking them off. The then minister of education decided to create a policy stating that the people wearing the headscarves should be discouraged from wearing them, but not expelled from their

schools. Eventually, the Council of State, while recognizing the students freedom to wear the religious symbols, encouraged school administration to forbid students from wearing the headscarves because they interfered with the schools sexual equality policies. Many cases after this ruling were judged strictly on a case-by-case basis because of the sensitivity of this issue. Making a jump from the original ruling, a law was created in 2004 banning the wearing of signs or dress by which students ostensibly express a religious belonging. Many people were against it, while others thought that it was needed to end the Islamic headscarf issue. Some people believe that France has decided to ban the religious wear in a late attempt to crack down on terrorism after the 9/11 attack on the United States. By making the headscarf law, some officials felt that they would help stop or slow down terrorism brought on from radical Muslims. Wouldnt that then be considered racism since Muslim people arent the only ones who could become terrorists or just a misguided attempt to make the countrymen feel more comfortable around?

Was banning the display of all religious symbols appropriate? Did it specifically target Muslim people (although the law did not specify any religions)? According to Thomas (2012: pp. 182), the law was passed mainly because of Muslim students wearing the headscarves. This law was a break from Frances usual policies, including the right to freedom of religion instated in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. Many people, including feminists, who support the law believe

that the bearing of the headscarves are a symbol of a religions sexual oppression and pressure on the girls to follow religious tradition. This may be because the French who are outside of the religion tend to see the headscarves as a symbol of victimized women rather than being a mutual part of a religion. Although French people outside of it see the law as a good thing, even many women in Muslim families49 percent, in factprefer having a law banning visible religious wear. Many Muslims in France do have to bear the headscarves because of oppression, but a lot of others also don it because they choose to.

Does the wearing or banning of the headscarves take away from the individuality of the people within Muslim communities? For both, yes and no. By choosing to wear the headscarflike so many others in the religionindividuality is conditional. Then again, by taking away the choice to wear a headscarf and making the Muslim community conform to Frances views, France is taking away the individuality of its immigrants and their religion, therefore suppressing them. In other words, France is attempting to assimilate the immigrants to its normal views and to end the religions abusive ways.

Was France in the right to ban the wear of all religious symbols, while focusing on Islamic headscarf? No, because France is suppressing the views of their citizens when they should have the Right to Freedom of Religion, though many

peoplegenerally women including those in Muslim familiesthink that the law was needed so that the religion could not continue to violate the rights of the girls and women. This banning could be seen as Frances further showing of Islamophobia, and it could result alienating the Muslim communities and start them to riot and revolt.

Works Cited:
Thomas, Elaine R. Immigration, Islam, and the Politics of Belonging in France: A Comparative Framework. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2011. Print.