PARIS—Wearing the full-face veil in France is a matter of personal choice, and not a refusal to integrate, according to a new report released today by the Open Society Foundations.
Starting today, France’s so-called burqa ban will make it illegal to wear any face covering in public spaces, except in places of worship or in a privately-owned car. Not abiding by this law could lead to fines of up to €150, which can be accompanied or replaced by compulsory citizenship classes.
Unveiling the Truth: Why 32 Women Wear the Veil in France offers the views of 32 women across France who wear the full-face veil, their reasons for doing so, and their experiences in public before and after the debate over banning the veil. It is an attempt to distinguish the real-life experiences and perspectives of the women who wear the veil from the popular myths and misperceptions promulgated by the media and national figures.
“This report is about the unrelenting stigmatization of a minority and the apparent incompatibility of Islam with European values. My worry is that the law coming into effect today, together with another debate on secularism in France, will be the beginning of a slippery slope where other countries in the region look to score political points by passing similar legislation. Legislative responses to inclusion of European Muslims should douse tensions, not inflame them further,” said Nazia Hussain, director of the Open Society Foundations At Home in Europe Project.
During a six-month period, the Parliamentary Commission heard testimonies from some 211 people about the proposed ban. Only one of those people was a Muslim woman who wore a full-face veil: Kenza Drider. She was only permitted to speak after repeatedly contacting the Commission's president. Drider was also interviewed in the Open Society report.
Key Findings
- Testimonies from the women clearly indicate that none of the respondents were forced into wearing the full-face veil.
- The adoption of a full-face veil in the great majority of cases is the result of personal choice, without any pressure from family members.
- In most cases, the women interviewed said they adopted the full-face veil as part of a spiritual journey.
- The recent negative media attention surrounding Muslims in France encouraged a number of interviewees, especially younger ones, to adopt the full-face veil.
- All the interviewees were happy to unveil their faces for identification purposes whether asked by an official or employee. Only three women said that this needed to be done by another woman.
“Why should I remove my niqab? I am not an outlaw, I am not a terrorist, I am not a criminal, I am not a thief. I, who today respect all the laws, the laws of God and the laws of the Republic, will tomorrow become an outlaw,” said Camile, one of the 32 women interviewed.
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The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Working with local communities in more than 70 countries, the Open Society Foundations support justice and human rights, freedom of expression, and access to public health and education.