Politics of the Veil

@insideislam.wisc.edu

In 2004, the French government passed a law that banned the wearing of “conspicuous signs” of religion affiliation in public schools. While the banning also included Jewish and Sikh religious-affiliated clothing, the law was known to be a direct response against Muslim girls and their headscarves- or veils, as they’ve become more regarded as. In Politics of the Veil, author Joan Wallach Scott outlines how the laws against Muslim women and their affiliated clothing are more malicious than they are benevolent, and how the concepts of racism, secularism, individualism, and sexuality have all played a part in only worsening the problem that Muslims have with integrating in French society.

Wallach uses the testimonies of Muslim women to help illustrate her argument that there are more repercussions to the law than just having to take off the veil. By banning headscarves from being worn in public, France continuously alienates their Muslim population. As Wallach said in the book, even though the overt protests against the law have ceased- in the media, at least- Muslim women are repeatedly reminded that the law and society as a whole only works against them. Stories of how Muslim women are denied naturalization, marriages, job opportunities, government assistance, the right to testify in trials, and even just simply the ability to receive certain services are all to common for Muslim women in France.

@opinionmag.com

So, even though the law was only meant to target school aged Muslim girls, the social ramifications have made it more unlikely that Muslim women will ever integrate- or assimilate, which is probably a better term for what the French want- fully into French society. Despite being pitched as a step towards liberating Muslim women from the patriarchal religion of Islam, the law was also a step backwards, because it only served to further the racial oppression and discrimination that Muslims- especially Muslim women- face in white supremacist, Western societies. When they remove their veils to go into public, only to put them back on when they return to the privacy of their own homes, it gives them their daily reminder that they are outsiders in their own country, and it only continues to foster a sense of resentment against and alienation from French society.

In 2010, France pushed the issue further and banned Muslim women from wearing their full-faced veils (niqabs) in public spaces, giving a 150 Euro fine (about $205) for women who do so anyways- making France the first European country to do so. In 2014, the law was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that the ban wasn’t a direct target on the religious affiliation of the clothing, but just on the fact that it concealed the face.

 Since then, other European countries- like Belgium- have followed suit.

@inminds.co.uk

I would say that it’s a noble cause, but like Wallach, I agree that there is an underlying seediness to the law and to laws like it. I’d believe that it was for the protection of the countries- if it wasn’t for the fact that Islamophobic hate crimes are rising faster in Western society (here, there, and everywhere) than crimes against people who are against Islam. 

I’d believe that it was for the liberation of Muslim women from the oppressive patriarchy that is Islam (even though we hardly consider nuns oppressed for wearing a similar outfit in the name of patriarchal Christianity)- if it wasn’t for the fact that banning Muslim women from wearing what they choose (because many Muslim women choose to wear their veils for themselves, not because of any sexist obligation- despite what Western [read “white”] feminists like to believe ) is the opposite of “liberation” and only forces them to choose which oppressor they want to please more. I’d stand by the law if Western society didn’t preach religious freedom or individualism or open-mindedness.

I’d be all for it- if only it wasn’t so hypocritical and completely against the values that Western society is claiming to be fighting for.

@rediff.com

Like Wallach, I believe that these laws only continue to spread hate and further separate the Muslim community from the West. I don’t think that the way to integrating a society is to remove all of the cultural differences between minority groups and the dominant majority. I think that integration only happens when a society can accept that everyone is different and respect those differences.

Politics of the Veil - Question #3

In July of 2010 the French Parliament voted to approve a ban on the wearing of veils that cover the face in public places. This vote made France the first European country to restrict a custom that some Muslims consider a religious obligation. The so-called burqa bill went into effect in 2011 restricting that those who conceal their faces, whether at a museum, theater or café, will face a fine of 150 euros. Joan Wallach Scott reflects on the aftermath of the bill’s passing in her novel The Politics of the Veil, and expresses her concern that “…rather than resolving the problem of integrating Muslims into French society, the law banning headscarves has exacerbated it (Wallach Scott).” The author draws this conclusion based mainly on the testimonials of Muslim women who have experienced how out of hand this law has gotten since it’s passing.

 According to an article in The New York Times by Dan Bilefsky, “A covered woman, who the French news media reported came from a Persian Gulf country, was at the performance of La Traviata with her husband. A male staff member told her that ‘…in France there is a ban of this nature, and asked her to either uncover her face or or leave the room. (Bilefsky)” The couple chose to leave. Similar reports have been made in the past few years, each testimony more uncomfortable than the next. The law itself has created a society of fear and skepticism among French civilians. Muslim women recount tales of being denied social services, barred from special ceremonies, and disrespected by those they work and socialize with simply because they were wearing a veil, even without a face covering. By passing and enforcing this law the government is giving the French public a valid reason to be afraid and untrusting of the Muslim religion and those who practice it. A government is a central force that is responsible for the care and keeping of all civilians within its legal bounds. When something is banned by this central force, those within it’s jurisdiction are led to assume that whatever has been restricted has been restricted for good reason – also known as their health and safety.

In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, France, this issue is more considerable than ever. Why has the passage of this law “exacerbated” Muslims from French society? Once again consider the purpose behind a government – to serve and protect each of the country’s citizens. “Each citizen” meaning all religions, including Muslim. Personal testimonies are one of the most trusted and effective forms of marketing, because people believe what they hear (especially in today’s social media obsessed society). If the testimonies of Muslim women who have to live as French citizens every day are not enough to persuade the French government to reform this regulation, then what will be? Is it fair to assume that because of the actions of a few Muslim individuals they all should be considered a threat? And it this is so, won’t alienating them only heighten their cause? A successful government is one that listens to and addresses the concerns of each individual, that acts ethically and that passes legislation for the greater good. I agree with Joan Wallach Scott that the testimonies of Muslim women who have been negatively affected by the burqa bill need to be shared with those in positions of power in order to reverse it’s passing and reintegrate Muslim women into French society.

Human Trafficking in Greece

Human trafficking has seen a recent surge in Greece, particularly in 2013. Greece has become a spot mainly to move the “cargo” through to other countries. Although trafficking is a problem, it is not necessarily sex trafficking. It’s mainly to do with agriculture and construction bondage. It concerns bringing men and children into the workforce. Mainly, children have become a “commodity” in the workforce, and are bought and sold as babies from third-world countries and passed through to Greece. In a way, it’s become a way for workers or organizations in Greece to acquire cheap labor with kids who probably won’t be missed (seeing as how parents are usually the ones who give up the kids). But not all of them are sold for slavery, some kids are soldunder-the-table to childless adults who want the children as their own.

Transportation route used by smugglers in the area

In the Born Free article, human trafficking was specifically addressed in the Sustainable Development Goals. The article talked about how human trafficking has been an issue that has been addressed before, but there has been no real surge in battling it. The author thought maybe this was due to the fact that there have been other horrors that have dominated the world (ISIS beheadings, France’s recent bomb and mass murder) which have taken the place of human trafficking. I don’t think the author was suggesting the world doesn’t care, merely that it tends to take a backseat in the wake of a major disaster/catastrophe. Also, the author mentioned that most donations that are made to major charity functions go towards disaster relief, finding a cure for diseases such as AIDS, or donating to help battle extreme poverty.

A way to combat the human trafficking problem is to introduce an educational component into a child’s education about trafficking, specifically a girl’s education about trafficking awareness and how to avoid abduction.  Another way is harsher border patrol inspections to avoid smugglers bringing in illegal immigrants/children into the area without a legal reason to be there.

Sex Trafficking in the U.K. - Allison Ray

It is difficult to comprehend that we still live in a world where people can be sold like a product for sex. Even in the most advanced regions of the world, like the United Kingdom for example, sex trafficking is a problem. In fact, it is such an issue that the Solicitor General for England spoke out in June of 2013, saying that “progress to stop human trafficking the U.K. has been implemented, but crime and abuse by traffickers is still actively taking place within the region. According to the Women’s News Network, he stated the following:

“The government launched a Human Trafficking survey which takes a comprehensive approach to preventing traffick activity and maintaining effective care for victims. Make no mistake; we are constantly reviewing how we in the government can tackle this evil which threatens the liberties of millions and is a new form of slavery (Heald).”

Still not convinced? This online human trafficking map outlines the areas inside the UK where more illegal activity by traffickers is occurring according to the number of reported victims of exploitation:

Women's News Network

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, the authorities learned of 946 victims last year, compared to 710 in 2010. The National Referral Mechanism is the official body that identifies and looks after those harmed by trafficking in the United Kingdom. Gangs in China, Vietnam, Nigeria and Eastern Europe are the largest sources of trafficking into the United Kingdom. Det Insp Kevin Hyland, of London’s Metropolitan Police – which sees the UK’s highest rates of trafficking – said some victims travelled to the UK in lorries or containers but the majority arrived lawfully, often accompanied by their traffickers.”

The fact that most victims think they are coming to a better life in the United Kingdom means that a majority of the time these cases are impossible to detect. Claims have been made that the government has somewhat disregarded human trafficking as an immigration issue, when it is in truth a much larger problem. But is the government entirely to blame? Sarah Mendelson makes the point in her article Born Free that:

“With so much money being made and so many people involved, it is surprising that the movement to end slavery has not reached the sort of tipping point one finds with other causes and campaigns; think of the global movement to fight AIDS or the campaign in the United States to advance the rights of the LGBT community (Mendelson).”

Why is it that this awful act is still occurring in such alarming numbers and it is not considered top priority by government and people alike? What can be done to raise awareness and cause change? Born Free offers a variety of solutions using the United Nations as an example, who issued the Outcome Document and the Sustainable Development Goals. These goals took years to establish, and have since driven the spending of billions of donor dollars. Programming has been put into place to educate women and children in source areas about the warning signs of a trafficking scam. Border patrolmen and airline employees are also being extensively educated. Search and rescue parties have been organized to track down those in captivity. What it really comes down to, in regards to long-term, is establishing a human record that is so well kept and can be assessed from time to time in order to ensure an end to this issue down to the number. For areas like the United Kingdom these goals may not be far off, but when it comes to the source countries referenced above, these goals will be undeniably difficult to achieve.