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Lifting the Veil: A Look at the Burqa

posted by ChickSpeak
Friday, January 22, 2010 at 1:59pm CST

Two weeks ago, French President Nicolas Sarkozy officially announced his party’s plans to implement a ban on the burqa in France. The burqa, a head-to-toe garment that covers the face and is worn by some Muslim women around the world, is a perennial topic of debate, and is one that is frequently met with controversy.

In statements made last summer, Sarkozy declared the burqa not welcome in France, asserting that “the burqa is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience,” and that “in our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity.”

A fine upwards of $1,000 will be awarded to anyone found walking the streets of France with their face concealed from public. For many, this announcement means the beginning of more tension and more trouble between Western and Middle Eastern cultures. What has resulted is a violent tempest of differing, strongly worded opinions, and severely offended parties on all sides.

The legislation marks what President Barack Obama has called in a past speech “hostility” towards religion clothed “in the pretense of liberalism.” For Obama, a woman has the right to wear whatever she may choose to wear, especially when it comes to her religious belief and expression.

In response to Obama, Sarkozy stated, “a young woman can wear a head scarf, provided that it is a decision she made freely and had not been forced on her by her family or entourage.” Sarkozy, like Obama, believes in a woman’s right to wear what she chooses, so long as it is a choice made free from coercion. “Let us undertake not to give opponents of democracy, dignity and sexual equality the chance for a victory which would put our society in a very difficult situation,” he said, adding it was “essential that no one felt stigmatized.”

But the issue is not quite as black and white as it seems. Indeed, where there are two sides to one story, there are about fifteen here. And it seems everyone has something say, everyone except the women who wear the burqas.

But first, a little context must be introduced. Only women in some Islamic traditions wear the burqa, and unless she is under Taliban rule, it is more or less her choice to wear it. This means a majority of women in France who wear the burqa are most likely wearing it because she has chosen to. Unfortunately, there is no real effective way of knowing this. And of course, if she is being forced to wear the burqa, an entirely new can of worms is inevitably opened.

To put it into perspective, it is thought that there are only two thousand Muslim women who wear the burqa in France, two thousand amongst approximately five million Muslims in the country overall.

Muslim women wear the burqa to maintain modesty and virtue. Modesty is a hugely significant tenet in the Koran (Qu’ran), and it is important for both men and women to uphold the practice by wearing unassuming dress and living and moral life. But the burqa’s original purpose had no direct ties to religion. In fact, Muslim men and women historically wore the burqa in the Middle East as a means to protect themselves against sand storms, among other things. The facemask was meant to keep sand from getting into the eyes. The burqa has also been used to hide one’s identity for a variety of reasons, including during a raid between Middle Eastern groups.

Furthermore, the Koran makes no specific mention of the burqa. It is important to be modest, and maintain a sense of reticence in Muslim tradition, but nowhere does the Koran say women must be covered from head-to-toe, with their face completely concealed.

One British woman, who agrees with the ban, and believes governments around the world should follow Sarkozy’s suit states, “thanks to fundamentalist Muslims and ‘hate’ preachers, the veiling of women is suddenly all-pervasive and promoted as a basic religious right.” The burqa, for her, has taken on a whole new meaning. The burqa has become a weapon against which women have no control over.

Anila Baig, who is Muslim but does wear a burqa (and who opposes the ban) says, “if the West wants to see fewer women in the orthodox garment, it would be better if the message came from a respected Imam rather than a secular president with a clothes-horse wife.” Baig’s sentiments reflect those of many who believe that too many people judge the book by its cover. “I don’t understand those who choose to wear the burqa. To me it represents a medieval, narrow-minded, and harsh side of Islam. The problem is, I know women who choose to wear it and they are not medieval, narrow-minded or harsh. They are often intelligent, articulate and passionately believe they are serving God.”

This is not the first time the French government has encountered controversy regarding Muslim dress. In 2004, France passed a law restricting headscarves (niqabs) or any other “conspicuous” religious symbol in state schools in a controversial bid to defend the belief that religion and religious bodies should have no part in political or civil affairs running in public institutions, especially schools. And last year a Moroccan woman was denied French citizenship after social services said she wore a burqa and was living in “submission” to her husband.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) calls Sarkozy’s comments “patronizing and offensive,” and that he is perpetuating a fallacy in the Muslim religion. The fallacy being that all Muslims believe in and actively follow Taliban law.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban forcefully requires women to wear the burqa in public with the aim to maintain her aforementioned modesty. The reality is, the Taliban believes a woman’s face leads to the corruption of men. Living conditions for a woman under Taliban rule is virtually impossible. For example, women are not allowed to be educated past the age of eight, or make any contact with men she is not related to. She must cover the first floor windows of her house so she may not be seen from the street, and she must never wear any bright clothing, nail polish, or high heels, since these things are likely to excite men.

This is why for many Muslim men and women (and individuals such as Nicolas Sarkozy), the burqa has become a symbol of submissive obedience and oppression. The problem is, these individuals often view the burqa through blinders, impervious to any representation beyond that of the picture the Taliban has already rather violently painted.

For many Muslim women who choose to wear the burqa or the niqab, Sarkozy’s ban means being stuck between a rock and a hard place. In the end, “it is not the state’s job to judge what is the right interpretation of the scriptures,” declared Benoit Hamon, a spokesperson for the French Socialist Party.

Ultimately Sarkozy endeavors to reassure his critics that his dislike of the burqa was and is motivated by love of his nation’s principles rather than racism. In any case, Pandora’s jar has already been opened, and regardless of whether or not the legislation is passed, the issue itself will never go away. But instead of unleashing havoc, perhaps this controversy has provided the world an opportunity to discuss exactly what the burqa means and represents so all this uncertainty and confusion might dissipate.

For British Communities Minister Shahad Malik, the burqa must first be understood before it is to be removed, if at all. “It is true that many Muslims feel the veil and its rationale are misunderstood,” says Shahad, adding that “a sensible discussion provides an opportunity to create a better understanding and ultimately ensures we are more at ease with the diverse society within which we live.”

And as Anila Baig puts it, “maybe us Muslims should make more effort to show the human face of our religion.”

What do you think, Chicks? For information on the burqa itself, click here.

Ever since Jasmin wrote a paper on diaspora, and artist Shirin Neshat in university, she has had a strong interest in the burqa and what it represents and means for Muslim women. Sarkozy’s proposed ban has left Jasmin unsure of her opinion on the matter, and hopes some solution may be found. Jasmin has mad love for the Spice Girls, and lives for impromptu dance parties.