Saving face: Europe’s burqa debate

Today France’s parliament begins its controversial debate on whether to ban the burqa.

It’s a debate that is raging across several European parliaments, exposing society’s true values over women’s rights, religious freedoms and equality.

The principle question being asked is whether the burqa and its Arabian equivalent the niqab is a symbol of religious expression or repression of women?

The burqa is an outer garment worn by some Islamic women to cover their face and body in public.

It includes the niqab, which covers the whole face but leaves a small gap exposed for the eyes. Both are different from the hijab, or headscarf.

Although not specifically prescribed in the Qur’an (Islam’s version of the Bible), burqa’s are worn as a symbol of religious expression in Islamic societies. They have also become an identifiable symbol of Islam in the West.

Linked to the concept of ‘namus’, which loosely translates into honour, burqas are designed to shield a woman from the eyes of men, keeping her ‘namus’ in tact.

France is home to the largest Muslim population in Europe. However, the burqa and niqab are only worn by a very small minority of French female Muslims – about 2,000 women out of a total of 1.5 million.

The burqa in France

Religious identity is a hot topic in France.

In 2004, the French government banned the burqa in public schools as part of a law that prohibited wearing clearly visible religious symbols.

In June 2009 the debate reached another level when French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared burqas ‘unwelcome in France’ and called for an inquiry into their use.

In May he proposed a bill to ban wearing the full veil in public places such as airports and public transport, despite warnings this was unconstitutional.

The Belgian parliament also recently voted to ban face coverings and similar bills are being debated in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and Australia.

The arguments for

Those in favour of banning the burqa tend to base their argument along two main themes: security and women’s rights.

The burqa has been likened to a face mask, making “identification or participation in economic and social life virtually impossible.”

As facial visibility is considered a safety requirement by many, those in favour of the bill claim a ban on face coverings is essential to enforcing a sense of equality and security among French citizens.

Armed robberies in France and the UK, where robbers have concealed hand-guns underneath burqas have added fuel to this argument.

There is also a strong contingent that supports the ban on the basis of women’s rights.

They, including some high-profile Muslim women such as British journalist Yasmin Alibhai Brown, view the burqa as a tool of repression for Muslim women.

President Sarkozy said the burqa “hurts the dignity of women and is unacceptable in French society.”

The idea behind banning the burqa is to reinforce women’s rights by supporting their right to have a face that can be shown openly in public.

The arguments against

Opposition to the burqa ban centers around the fact that it is against the constitution (the core values and rules of the country).

In France, the fundamental values of liberty, equality and fraternity means that freedom of religious expression should take priority over the government’s right to restrict clothing.

In a nutshell, the opponents believe people should be able to wear what they like, even if it makes others feel awkward.

In the UK, laws actually protect religious expression through dress, for example the rights of Sikh men to wear a turban.

Indeed, given the low number of women who actually wear the full veil, some believe the whole debate is just a populist ‘storm in a teacup’ used by the far-right to draw attention away from other matters.

The reaction

But there are no clear sides on the issues. The debate has shattered traditional party lines and remains a source of contention due to the wide range of issues it encompasses.

Some left-wing campaigners have come out in favour of the ban, while some right-wing leaders have rejected it.

Amnesty International has condemned Belgium’s decision as an ‘attack on religious freedom’. The Council of Europe, the EU’s body on human rights, has voted to oppose any such bans in EU countries.

In France, Sarkozy’s popularity has suffered and officials warned the proposed bill could be thrown out by the courts.

Others say the ban could stigmatize and alienate moderate Muslims leading to a backlash.

So does the government have the right to restrict freedom of expression and do citizens have the right to look one another in the face? Or should people be able to wear what they like?

The burqa debate is a classic test for how far France’s founding beliefs of liberty, equality and fraternity will go when weighed up against the popular emotions of the day.

The answer, at least as far as France’s parliament is concerned, is expected sometime next week.

By Victoria Craw