Islamophobia in France - The Contradiction of Secular Feminism
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy failed to acknowledge that many women wore the veil by choice, instead spreading the narrative that it was a tool of the oppressive Muslim patriarchy.
On October 2, 2020, incumbent President Macron revealed his draft of a law to combat “separatism,” the desire of a group of people to operate independently of a larger body based on religious or political beliefs. Macron’s argument is that this law will unify France. However, upon closer examination, the law only pertains to Islamist female separatism, and no other racial, demographic, ethnic, or religious group. According to Macron, Islam is at odds with France’s principles of gender equality. He argues that Muslim women wearing a veil, or Muslim men refusing to shake hands with a woman are examples of “radical Islam,” and that these practices go against secular feminism. France’s politicians are using feminism as a shield to protect themselves from left-wing criticism while pandering to their increasing far-right population. The use of feminism as a tool of islamophobia has been increasing across Europe, and academic Sara Farris coined a term to describe it: “femonationalism:” the use of women’s rights to stigmatize Muslim/migrant populations.
France is a secular nation, and its beliefs about religion are summarized by the term Laїcité. This term, frequently translated as “secularism,” has deeper meanings than the mere separation of religion and government. Laïcité represents a complete absence of religion in any public setting. This belief, embedded into the French Constitution, was used as a pretext to pass a 2004 ban on all religious symbols in schools. This technically affects all religious garb (yarmulkes, crosses, turbans, etc) but this law is widely seen as the “hijab ban.” This policy, still highly controversial, was used to expel a Muslim student who refused to remove her headscarf during gym class. In 2011, France used both Laїcité and femonationalism to pass a “burqa ban” with the aim of eliminating traditional Muslim women’s garb, such as burqas and niqabs. While this was presented as a feminist policy, it is merely veiled islamophobia, and, despite what one might hear from France’s President, has little to do with advancing female rights.
As a result of these laws, Laїcité, and other islamophobic practices ingrained in French society, French Muslims, and more specifically French Muslim women, face significant prejudice on a daily level. Muslim women have a harder time gaining citizenship if they wear any religious garb. Additionally, wearing religious garb makes getting a job more difficult for adult women and makes younger girls victims of bullying.
Since President Macron revealed the draft law, which was overwhelmingly favored by the French National Assembly, the hashtag #HandsOffMyHijab has been trending online. Muslim women from around the world have united to speak out against this discriminatory law, making it clear that Islam and feminism are not incompatible. They argue that this law goes against feminism just as much as forcing a woman to wear a veil does. As author Najwa Zebian wrote, “Forcing a woman to wear a hijab is wrong. Just like forcing her to take it off is wrong. It’s HER choice.” France is not “feminist” by enacting this law. By taking a choice away from Muslim women, the community argues that President Macron is simultaneously anti-feminist and islamophobic. Through describing the hijab as a representation of the “inferiority of men to women” and preventing Muslims from practicing their religion, France violates its beliefs as a secular country - discriminating against one religious population is not secular.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy failed to acknowledge that many women wore the veil by choice, instead spreading the narrative that it was a tool of the oppressive Muslim patriarchy.
On October 2, 2020, incumbent President Macron revealed his draft of a law to combat “separatism,” the desire of a group of people to operate independently of a larger body based on religious or political beliefs. Macron’s argument is that this law will unify France. However, upon closer examination, the law only pertains to Islamist female separatism, and no other racial, demographic, ethnic, or religious group. According to Macron, Islam is at odds with France’s principles of gender equality. He argues that Muslim women wearing a veil, or Muslim men refusing to shake hands with a woman are examples of “radical Islam,” and that these practices go against secular feminism. France’s politicians are using feminism as a shield to protect themselves from left-wing criticism while pandering to their increasing far-right population. The use of feminism as a tool of islamophobia has been increasing across Europe, and academic Sara Farris coined a term to describe it: “femonationalism:” the use of women’s rights to stigmatize Muslim/migrant populations.
France is a secular nation, and its beliefs about religion are summarized by the term Laїcité. This term, frequently translated as “secularism,” has deeper meanings than the mere separation of religion and government. Laïcité represents a complete absence of religion in any public setting. This belief, embedded into the French Constitution, was used as a pretext to pass a 2004 ban on all religious symbols in schools. This technically affects all religious garb (yarmulkes, crosses, turbans, etc) but this law is widely seen as the “hijab ban.” This policy, still highly controversial, was used to expel a Muslim student who refused to remove her headscarf during gym class. In 2011, France used both Laїcité and femonationalism to pass a “burqa ban” with the aim of eliminating traditional Muslim women’s garb, such as burqas and niqabs. While this was presented as a feminist policy, it is merely veiled islamophobia, and, despite what one might hear from France’s President, has little to do with advancing female rights.
As a result of these laws, Laїcité, and other islamophobic practices ingrained in French society, French Muslims, and more specifically French Muslim women, face significant prejudice on a daily level. Muslim women have a harder time gaining citizenship if they wear any religious garb. Additionally, wearing religious garb makes getting a job more difficult for adult women and makes younger girls victims of bullying.
Since President Macron revealed the draft law, which was overwhelmingly favored by the French National Assembly, the hashtag #HandsOffMyHijab has been trending online. Muslim women from around the world have united to speak out against this discriminatory law, making it clear that Islam and feminism are not incompatible. They argue that this law goes against feminism just as much as forcing a woman to wear a veil does. As author Najwa Zebian wrote, “Forcing a woman to wear a hijab is wrong. Just like forcing her to take it off is wrong. It’s HER choice.” France is not “feminist” by enacting this law. By taking a choice away from Muslim women, the community argues that President Macron is simultaneously anti-feminist and islamophobic. Through describing the hijab as a representation of the “inferiority of men to women” and preventing Muslims from practicing their religion, France violates its beliefs as a secular country - discriminating against one religious population is not secular.
Understanding a History of Colonialism and Xenophobia
Over the course of recent years, a certain phobia has gripped societies on a global scale. Muslims around the world, mostly in Western societies, feel threatened, discriminated against, and endangered. Islamophobia can be classified as the fear, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when this group is perceived as a geopolitical force or the source of terrorism. Researcher Erik Bleich believes that Islamophobia was a concept which originally developed in the 1990s. However, there has been a strong rise in this phenomenon recently, and human rights groups around the world advocate for strong actions to combat it.
France made headlines when it became the first European country to place a public ban on the niqab and burqa. What can be classified as state-sponsored, deep-rooted Islamophobia, is completely denied by the French government. Banning Muslim attire, way of life and ideologies, as done by the mayor of Cannes when he banned the Burkini in 2016, has caused outrage. The recent “anti-separatism bill” allowed for the State to outright ban minors from wearing the Hijab. While this lead to an outburst of condemnation on various social media platforms, with hashtags like #HandsOffMyHijab trending, France declared that this bill was merely a way to uplift the “oppressed” Muslim women of their society. An alliance of 36 civil society organisations from around the world urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to take action against reforms like these, which take away the right of religious freedom, expression and autonomy from the Muslims of France.
The world has observed how Muslims have been exploited and discriminated against in France for several years. According to the head of the National Observatory of Islamophobia, Abdullah Zekri, there was a 53% rise in Islamaphobic attacks in France in 2020. This far-right extremism can be traced back to the 18th and 19th century. With around 5.7 million Muslims, France is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe. As of now, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Europe. Historically, the expansion of French Islam started after France invaded Algeria in 1830. During the period of French colonization of several regions, such as those in North Africa, Algeria was declared a part of France. This allowed Algerian Muslims to freely travel to France and live there; however, this was only the beginning of the xenophobic attitudes which prevailed in France. In Francophone Africa, as well as all other colonies of France, individuals were considered “civilized,” “modern,” and “French.” This was only possible if these individuals forwent and denied their own heritage, culture and identity. What they were expected to do was to lose and reform themselves to think, act and be exactly like a Frenchman, and yet still be treated as second-class citizens. In 1936, the left-wing Popular Front proposed to allow equal rights for the 24,000 French Muslims, and by 1944 the Free French granted a mere 65,000 Muslims out of a 7.5 million Muslim population this status.
This act led to Muslim resistance against the colonial mindset and environment, leading to a state crisis. To combat this crisis, the Fifth Republic was designed. However, the feelings of resentment grew to a point where Algeri strived for independence. During the Algerian Independence Movement, Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) militants caused serious damage in France, such as burning a fuel depot in Marseille, allowing for a massacre of approximately 100 Algerian individuals in Paris in 1961. Although Algeria attained independence in 1962, there are still several far-right individuals in France who support the idea of French colonization and superiority. To make matters worse, around 50% of the police and armed forces members voted for the National Front, a far-right ascendant party, in the 2015 regional elections.
Over the course of recent years, a certain phobia has gripped societies on a global scale. Muslims around the world, mostly in Western societies, feel threatened, discriminated against, and endangered. Islamophobia can be classified as the fear, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when this group is perceived as a geopolitical force or the source of terrorism. Researcher Erik Bleich believes that Islamophobia was a concept which originally developed in the 1990s. However, there has been a strong rise in this phenomenon recently, and human rights groups around the world advocate for strong actions to combat it.
France made headlines when it became the first European country to place a public ban on the niqab and burqa. What can be classified as state-sponsored, deep-rooted Islamophobia, is completely denied by the French government. Banning Muslim attire, way of life and ideologies, as done by the mayor of Cannes when he banned the Burkini in 2016, has caused outrage. The recent “anti-separatism bill” allowed for the State to outright ban minors from wearing the Hijab. While this lead to an outburst of condemnation on various social media platforms, with hashtags like #HandsOffMyHijab trending, France declared that this bill was merely a way to uplift the “oppressed” Muslim women of their society. An alliance of 36 civil society organisations from around the world urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to take action against reforms like these, which take away the right of religious freedom, expression and autonomy from the Muslims of France.
The world has observed how Muslims have been exploited and discriminated against in France for several years. According to the head of the National Observatory of Islamophobia, Abdullah Zekri, there was a 53% rise in Islamaphobic attacks in France in 2020. This far-right extremism can be traced back to the 18th and 19th century. With around 5.7 million Muslims, France is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe. As of now, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Europe. Historically, the expansion of French Islam started after France invaded Algeria in 1830. During the period of French colonization of several regions, such as those in North Africa, Algeria was declared a part of France. This allowed Algerian Muslims to freely travel to France and live there; however, this was only the beginning of the xenophobic attitudes which prevailed in France. In Francophone Africa, as well as all other colonies of France, individuals were considered “civilized,” “modern,” and “French.” This was only possible if these individuals forwent and denied their own heritage, culture and identity. What they were expected to do was to lose and reform themselves to think, act and be exactly like a Frenchman, and yet still be treated as second-class citizens. In 1936, the left-wing Popular Front proposed to allow equal rights for the 24,000 French Muslims, and by 1944 the Free French granted a mere 65,000 Muslims out of a 7.5 million Muslim population this status.
This act led to Muslim resistance against the colonial mindset and environment, leading to a state crisis. To combat this crisis, the Fifth Republic was designed. However, the feelings of resentment grew to a point where Algeri strived for independence. During the Algerian Independence Movement, Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) militants caused serious damage in France, such as burning a fuel depot in Marseille, allowing for a massacre of approximately 100 Algerian individuals in Paris in 1961. Although Algeria attained independence in 1962, there are still several far-right individuals in France who support the idea of French colonization and superiority. To make matters worse, around 50% of the police and armed forces members voted for the National Front, a far-right ascendant party, in the 2015 regional elections.
