* Note: I just now noticed the post before me after writing this... sorry for the double up on the topic!
In response to this week's readings:
"2 arrested as France's ban on burqas, niqabs take effect."
After a law was passed back in October, placed into effect Monday, it is now illegal to wear a burqa or a niqab in public in France. Violators, including visitors, will face fines and "French citizenship courses." Also, "Forcing a woman to wear a niqab or a burqa is punishable by a year in prison and a 30,000-euro fine (about $43,300). Forcing a minor to do the same thing is punishable by two years in prison and a fine of 60,000 euros."
The ban has caused a range of issues to surface, from religious freedom to female oppression to modesty rules to tenets of the Islamic faith.
Supporters of the ban, most notably the French government, have cited its implementation for security purposes, stating it's of utmost importance to be able to "see people's faces" to maintain a secure nation. Additionally, it has been noted as a way to maintain French identity, a nation of "bare-headed fashion."
Moreover, supporters of the ban claim that seeing the burqa is a tangible sign of an oppressive faith that ultimately strips women of their agency and dignity. The supporters claim that the ban will enable women to relieve themselves of this painful restraint on their identities.
On the flip side, many Muslim women are offended by the ban which treats them like criminals for a practice they have voluntarily chosen to follow. Some Muslim women feel like the burqa or niqab grant them more agency, as they do not have to feel judged by others on their bodies or appearance. However, some Muslim women agree with the ban because they believe the burqa is imprisoning women who think they are practicing piety, but are truly maintaining an oppressive practice. (A "false consciousness," if you will.)
So, is France stepping on the religious freedom of Muslim women? Are they trying to liberate women from an oppressive practice? Are they falling to stereotypes of the media in order to preserve their "French identity"? Are French Muslim women not a part of this "national identity"... and why? This law makes me think of the article by Lila Abu-Lughod, "Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?" Is France attempting to "save" Muslim women who in fact share their devoutness through modest wear? Is it even the place of a national government to insist that they know "what is best" for all Muslim women in the whole country? Are the "security" reasons for this law truly legitimate or are they just a cover-up for a greater agenda to be served?
I think this is a challenging issue, but it points out something very important: here is an example of how one nation is attempting to deal with the cultural "Other," a concept that has been discussed by many prominent feminist scholars. How can an individual, a government, or even factions of a religion find a unifying agreement of what this type of symbolic dress may mean? Can we wade through the "cultural relativist" argument that tries to help us understand and tolerate instead of judge and disrespect? Or, is this the type of issue that needs to be seen through a human rights perspective that trumps relativism in order to move toward women's rights? Are we even in the position to say what the answers to these questions are....are our Western minds able to grasp the meanings behind symbols that are unfamiliar to us?
A challenge, indeed.
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Just a second little thing to add:
This article: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/21/femen.topless.protest/index.html?iref=obinsite
"Topless feminist protesters show what they're made of"
The article explains the women of Femen, Ukraine's topless female protest movement. Femen's leader, 26-year-old Anna Gutsol, explains: "Our goal is active Ukrainian women who want to be involved in society and politics.
Here is an an alternative method that women have taken in order to act as agents of change in an entirely different setting. How does this article compare to the banning of the burqa in France? In one case, we have Muslim women arguing that they command respect through the wearing of the burqa, and the other, wearing nothing at all is a symbol of power. Is the response the same? Is the "topless" feminist movement in the Ukraine a sign of oppression and patriarchy? Some might say that using sex and lust to sell a feminist image is contradictory, but those people might also say that using a veil to cover one's self is also contradictory to the notion of empowerment. Can "outsiders" truly understand what the intention or purpose is of either of these actions? The article claims that after a "nude protest" of a woman being stoned to death in Iran for committing adultery, the group received praise and thanks from Iran for their action. So, why does this group receive praise for their "nontraditional" forms of empowerment while the Muslim women receive criticism for remaining fully covered? Is nude activism more or less respectable than a Muslim woman wearing a burqa to show her dedication to her faith?
What roles of the media and the media's portrayal of the two groups are playing into people's perception of the two issues? Is the stereotyped "Other," the Muslim woman, the target of the burqa ban because of the international perception of oppression tied to her? If so, how is she to shed this label if she truly believes she is doing something good, on her own will? What is the media's perception of the topless feminists, and how does this portrayal affect their message? Who are we to believe/respect/understand/tolerate?
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