Alex Veeneman, Asst. Opinions Editor
Hind Ahmas was one of the two women given the first fines under France’s ban on the niqab, also known as the burqa. Ahmas and her friend Najate Nait Ali were fined 120 euros ($165.47) and 80 euros ($110.31), respectively, Sept. 22 in Meaux, in the eastern part of Paris.
The ban, introduced in April, has become the subject of controversy in the country and outside it.
“My quality of life has seriously deteriorated since the ban,” Ahmas told the British newspaper The Guardian. “In my head, I have to prepare for war every time I step outside, prepare to come up against people who want to put a bullet in my head. The politicians claimed they were liberating us; what they’ve done is to exclude us from the social sphere.”
Ahmas added that it felt like a prison.
“Before this law, I never asked myself whether I’d be able to make it to a café or collect documents from a town hall,” Ahmas said. “One politician in favor of the ban said niqabs were ‘walking prisons.’ Well, that’s exactly where we’ve been stuck by this law.”
France is not the only country in Europe considering this law. According to a report from the BBC, Belgium and the city of Barcelona, Spain, have similar laws implemented, while Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands are considering whether such measures should be taken. The U.K. does not have a ban in place; however, the right-wing U.K. Independent Party has said a ban should be placed in the country.
Still, the subject of this law has made things uneasy for Muslim women living in Europe.
Many see this as an attempt to integrate them into a modern Western society. Concerns expressed of oppression of women are very valid. However, religions have certain ceremonies and traditions that should be respected. The niqab is a tradition that Muslims hold dear and that should be respected, regardless of one’s perception.
Indeed, helping to build a global perspective means living with those with different cultures and traditions, even though you may not agree with them. Living with different cultures and faiths around you can expand your faith and belief and give an insight into the significant differences of faith around the world.
Ahmas and Ali were simply exercising their rights to convey their religion, and it should be respected.
For now, however, the fight is not over. The group’s lawyer, Gilles Devers, told the Guardian that they will appeal to France’s Supreme Court and, if needed, to the European Court of Human Rights, saying that the ban violates EU legislation on religion and liberties.
The Supreme Court in France and the ECHR did not respond to requests seeking comment for this article.
Alex Veeneman
Assistant Opinions Editor | Click here for Alex's Archives
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