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Despite ban, French Muslim women will not change tradition: expert

Politics Materials 13 January 2010 17:06 (UTC +04:00)
France's legislative ban on wearing nigab and burqas - Muslim clothes that completely cover woman – will not lead the European Muslim women to refuse their traditional clothes, expert on the Islamic ideology in the West Shada Islam believes.

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 13 / Trend E.Ostapenko /

France's legislative ban on wearing nigab and burqas - Muslim clothes that completely cover woman - will not lead the European Muslim women to refuse their traditional clothes, expert on the Islamic ideology in the West Shada Islam believes.

"Just law can not be adjusted to change the situation in practice," a researcher at the European Policy Centre (EPC) Islam told Trend over the telephone. "If these women want to wear nigab, they will do it. No matter how many laws the French Parliament will accept."

On Tuesday, the French Parliament introduced a draft law providing for a fine of 700 euros ($1,000) for wearing burqas or nigab in public places and streets (except social events and carnivals). The man who makes his wife to wear such clothes will be fined in more amounts.

Burqa (or yashmak), distributed mainly in Afghanistan, is a veil with the hair mesh for the eyes which completely covers a woman from prying eyes. Nigab is a Muslim woman's headdress that covers the face, but leaves a slit for the eyes.

Leader of the ruling conservative faction of the French parliament- the Union for a Popular Movement- Jean-Francois Cope initiated the ban. He believes the adoption of the law would better ensure public safety.

However, observers believe that if the bill passes, it will be challenged in the European Court of Human Rights.

Shada Islam expects a heated debate in the French Parliament, believing that eventually the law of the fines will be adopted. However, she said faced difficulties to say what will be form and size of fines.

Last June, the French Parliament established a special commission of 32 deputies, who must, gather information and figure out how to restrict the wearing of women's clothing that covers the figure from head to toe in six months. Then President Nicolas Sarkozy gave a speech in which he stated that the veil (burqa) is a symbol of the enslavement of women and undermines their dignity.

The prohibition law and fines will not solve the underlying problem - the integration of Muslim communities in European society, Islam believes.

"While attention is paid to minor issues, such important issues as the integration of Muslims, creating a united society are pushed to the background," she said, adding that education and employment are the key spheres that require the integration of Muslims. 

The largest Muslim community in Europe lives in France, numbering about five million people. Every tenth Frenchman is Muslim. But the number of women wearing felt cloak and headscarf in France is very small. According to the Interior Ministry, the number of fully covered women all over France is around 2000 from the general population - about 62 million.

Thus, the authorities focus on minor problems that, according to Islam, can be solved in a more harmonious way. The question of authority of women, the problem of women in Islam can be discussed and resolved in a softer manner within the Muslim community.

The debates in France over Muslim clothes are not something unexpected. Six years ago, the Muslim community of France was shocked by the law prohibiting wearing headscarf at public schools. Together with hijab (headscarf) were also banned Christian crosses and Jewish bales.

In August last year, French authorities banned Muslim women to swim in public swimming pool in "Burkina" - with bathing suit, fully covering the body, resembling a bathing suit with a hood.

A tendency of dividing into "us and them" is very visible in Europe, said Islam. The majority believes that Muslims are "strangers" in European society, that they have strange traditions, strange clothes, they are old-fashioned and conservative. To create an integrated, united and prosperous society where there is seat for everyone, it needs to change this rhetoric, making it more meaningful, she said.

"Two-way approach is necessary in this regard - we will adapt to you, and you must share our values, said Islam. - In fact, basically all values are common, it is impossible to divide them into European and Muslim."

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