And by suppressing it you make it stronger. You can't fix the problem by attacking the symbols. You fix the problem by attacking the underlying causes. Non-muslims pushing against the headscarf makes it into more of a political and identity issue. It validates the words of the extremist loons in the way that interventions in the Middle East do. You can't force cultural change from the outside. You can only provide support for the conservatives.

Of course, the current ruling wisdom is that symbols are all that matter and actually spending money on things like education, improved economic agency and effective policing that can actually get into the community in question is all pinko-commie nonsense.

Did we improve the lot of women in Europe by banning skirts and high heels?

I'm going to ignore your "Egyptian middle class" statement, which happens not to be true, and which I find rather insulting, because I'm fairly sure you didn't mean it that way.

If you are basing your entire understanding of this topic on Saudi Arabia, perhaps that explains why you seem to view it in such black-and-white terms.  The Islamic world is so much wider than that.  The OIC has 57 member states, which are tremendously culturally diverse.  By buying into the Saudi/Wahhabi frames of the issues, by not discussing the things that the extremists find uncomfortable but instead focusing on this issue, we allow the agenda to be set and defined by the wrong people.  Things that don't really matter in the larger scheme become the focus of the debate.  We must fight for a society where it really doesn't matter what a woman wears on her head or whether a man's name is Mohammed or Michael, and by allowing this issue to distract us, we are losing that battle.

Regardless, I think it is safe to say that a fair number of Muslims, regardless of the degree of their piety, view with some skepticism Westerners who say, "Trust me, I want to liberate you."

As I have said elsewhere, the platform of ni putes ni soumises appears to be an excellent one.  But I would advise everyone to pay attention to all of it, including the larger focus of violence, poverty and discrimination, rather than fixating on just a single issue that, for that group as for others, is only a small part of a very complex whole.