July 9
Written in response to an email I received from a very nice professor :) on the banning of the "voile intégrale" (meaning burka or niqab) in public
Article Link: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1658/widespread-support-for-banning-full-islamic-veil-western-europe-not-in-america?src=prc-latest&proj=forum
My response:
I suspected this, actually, but hadn't gone looking for a poll to confirm. You know Dr. Robyn, the interesting thing is, I don't think people actually care too much about this issue. For one, it's only going to affect the decisions of 2000 woman. So what does Michel care, or Sylvianne, or that fisherman in Breton... it's too bad perhaps for those women, but that is the downside to being in the minority, sometimes you get stepped on. Even Muslims, I think, don't have much to say on the subject. I talked to a secretary of the mosque yesterday who said she didn't really mind one way or the other... I think there's a split between Muslims... most WANT to assimilate, stop being noticed, go on as French citizens. There is a future in that, for you, and for your kids. I've learned the one thing the French hate more than anything is a "situation précaire"... or a precarious economic situation.
Not to mention most of these immigrants immigrated here ten years ago or more, meaning they grew up French. They don't know much about their great-grandparent's lives, or the struggle against the French, and even if they do, they have no connection to it outside of these stories have very little resonance in their lives today.
I also think there's a perception in the greater Muslim population that those radical Muslims who are fighting against the "interdiction de la voile intégral" are troublemakers, ruining it for the rest of the Muslims (like 10% of the country!).
I thought this would be a huge issue when I came... but I think the larger question as you know is the survival of the nation, the confirmation of the political philosophy that has kept France's democracy intact for two centuries (well, really, 130... well, then there was that whole WW2 thing... ok, let's be honest, the French have not been great at democracy). Like I said in my email, the parliament session was an inspiring and rousing debate on the fundamentals of the nation... I heard "liberté, égalité, fraternité, laicité, la patrimoine, la sécurité" I don't know sixty times... if I was playing french democracy buzz word bingo, I'd had five across in the first ten minutes. This I think is the worst part about the ban, which looks like it will go through. I don't think there's anything anti-laique about women wearing the burqa... the veil will still be allowed, so what we're talking about is a one foot by one foot piece of fabric across the face. I can't see how this is anti-équalité... but it's definitely anti-fraternité and liberté... so I guess even though the ban will have little effect on the population, it is framing the constitutional in a certain way that for me is indefensible. Maybe you can enlighten me on their justification... I mean, I get that is representative of women's repression and abuse at home, and I get that it may pose a security threat (no, wait, I don't... but I at least acknowledge the legitimacy of that argument in a world of globalized terror)... but I don't get how it violates anything about the founding principles of government. This is actually what many in the Left, esp the more radical ones, were referring to. That this issue gets brought up during troubling economic times... it's a smokescreen for more assimilationist policies, creating a homogenous country without the "droit de difference"... the left also indicated, and this is the divide among scholars of the issue too, that these burqaed women have to right to recognition from the governmentfor their free choice of religion. I agree with that argument, though I know I am American and bias more towards liberty than equality. Burke and I would have a hard time hangin' out.
Sorry I talked your ear off on the subject, but I was just thinking about it (obviously, this is what I am here for...).
Chris
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