The photographer noted that the French Council of State recently denied a Moroccan woman’s application for citizenship even though she is married to a French citizen. The reason they gave was that “She has adopted a radical practice of her religion, incompatible with essential values of the French community, particularly the principle of equality of the sexes.” An article I found elsewhere elaborated that she lives a reclusive life in total submission to her husband, but the blog post (and comments thereon) focused on the fact that she always wore a burqa (a head covering with only a slit for the eyes to see through) in public.Some of the comments declared the burqa an object of oppression that should be outlawed. As I read that, I got to thinking of at least one interview I’ve read of a Muslim woman who viewed the head covering as a sacred symbol of her devotion to God and respect for her body. Though I may not agree that veils are God’s ideal for female modesty, I respect her convictions and I’m sure there are other Muslim women who voluntarily wear a veil as a statement of their commitment to God in spite of societal pressure and even persecution. I felt it my duty to give that woman a voice in the blog discussion, and point out that forbidding a religious practice because our culture considers it oppressive can be just another form of oppression.
1 comment:
It is hard for me to fully understand headscarves as well but what I do understand and respect is the Muslims' devotion and belief in covenants. Far too many people believe that occasionally listening to and saying a few words is enough to constitute religiousness. Anyone who takes what they believe to be commandments seriously gets kudos in my book.
The recent French court rulings have troubled me. It seems that they are picking and choosing with out any kind of uniform interpretation of what is acceptable. We share a faith whose practices have been discriminated against by the government and fellow citizens in the past. When the beliefs of one minority population of society is not protected, we are all at risk.
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