A hijab is a head covering some Muslim women choose to wear in public. It is a symbol of modesty. In Muslim culture, a women’s hair is considered a private asset, and therefore, to honor Allah, they cover their hair with a hijab (Arabic for “barrier”).
On the 30th of March, 2021, the French Senate voted in favor of a bill that supports “prohibition in the public space of any conspicuous religious sign by minors and of any dress or clothing which would signify an interiorization of women over men.”. Besides, any adult chaperone at a school function is bound to follow this new rule.
If this weren’t enough, the French Government is trying to make the halal (by Muslim law) slaughter of chicken illegal, and local halal meat stores would be required to sell pork and alcohol (banned in Muslim culture). Not to mention, Muslim women will not be able to request a specific gender of a doctor for religious reasons.
Although France was always in favor of the state and church separation, it seems to not uphold its stance right now. This bill is an obvious infringement on the right to religious freedom. Head coverings are already banned from public schools, and soon to be looked down upon in any public space. This would only cause the withdrawal of Muslim people from society.
This bill, not even approved by the National Assembly yet, has sparked public outrage on social media. Everyone is criticizing and comparing this bill to the newest rendering of the consent laws. In France, the age for sexual consent is 15, but the age for hijab-wearing is 18. Muslim law says that hijabs must be worn since the age of puberty, and now this is contradicted by French law.
French society believes that Muslim hijabi (who wear a hijab) women are oppressed. This only feeds into the white feminism ideology and jumps to the rescue of people who don’t need saving. The belief that hijabi women are oppressed is outdated, and although it might be true in other countries, it is completely unfounded in France. Wearing a hijab is a choice, and by taking away the choice, the French Government is oppressing Muslim women much more than a hijab ever could.
This bill is only one step in the long anti-Islam “regime” the French Government instilled.
Editor- Brianna Stiuca
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