A controversial bill banning the Burqa-style Islamic veil in public came into force in France on Monday. The enforcement faced low-key challenges, and the French police arrested three women for defying the ban in Paris. According to the bill, the violators of it will be punished by a 150-euros fine. But those who force others to wear the burqa will be subjected to a stiffer punishment which may extends to 12 months in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros. In the bill, the part related to punishing those who force others to wear burqa is morally justified and some even will find it needed in combating women oppression. But banning burqa in public is against civil liberties, might be highly problematic, and above all, might lead to a wide spread of the use of burqa itself among French Muslim minority.
Many in the Arab world, including myself, consider the burqa as a gender discrimination against women. Scholars even argued that it is not obligatory in Islam and is merely a custom that dates back to tribal nomadic societies living in the Arabian desert and other dusty and dry areas before Islam began, in order to provide protection against dust and sand. Burqa is obligatory only in the Salafi (extremist) doctrine, as they believe the face of a woman is considered awrah. Awrah denotes the parts of the body that are not meant to be exposed in public.
It is also noticed that many women in the Islamic world had been forced to wear burqa by a male relative, specially in the countries of the Arab Peninsula and the land of Banjabs. Therefor, a stiff punishment to those who force others to wear it will contribute in combating the use of Islamic teachings in suppressing women. In fact, this sort of legislation seems necessary in the Arab world more than in France.
But banning it is a different story. It is against individual liberty, freedom of religion, and liberty of conscience. It is also targeting a religious identity. France also might, by banning it, advertise it among its Muslim minority of five to six millions. Even though that French authorities estimated the number of women wearing burqa is to be no more than 2000, but the bill will definitely provoke the radical Muslims in the country. In a pessimistic approach, it might also radicalize the moderates. The bill already had been portrayed by many Islamic clerics in France and abroad as it is within the right-wing campaign against Islam in Europe. They will use it to advocate that rights of Muslims in Europe are "under attack", and will call for solidarity from fellow Muslims around the world. Today, a Muslim property dealer had set aside a fund of some two million euros to help women fight the ban. This act might be just a warm-up. It is common in the Islamic world that, in response to anti-Islam acts, people will become more religious. Every time a stupid cartoonist or a priest commits an act that is viewed as anti-Islam, Muslims feel their religion is targeted and relying on it will show unity and reflect that the nation of Islam is solid against any cultural attack. I will not be surprised if more women started using burqa from now and on in France, in defiance of what they saw as a discrimination against Islam and Muslims.
The use of radical interruption of Islamic teachings to suppress women need to be dealt with and the bill in this regard is highly welcomed. But, for those women who are convinced that part of their devotion to their religion is to wear burqa, banning them from exercising this devotion is also suppression. France must combat the spread of radicalism by debates and social campaigns, not by fueling it.
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