Vivre en France avec le niqab
aiza S. préfère ne pas y penser. Ne pas penser à ce jour où, pour pouvoir vivre en France, il lui faudra peut-être enlever la voilette noire qui dissimule au monde extérieur son visage rond de trentenaire souriante.

(...)

"A mon arrivée en France, j'ai pu lire des livres achetés en librairie ou sur le marché de Trappes, et je me suis décidée pour le niqab. Même ma mère a trouvé que c'était un peu trop. Mais, depuis que je le porte, je me sens trop bien ! Je suis soumise à Dieu et j'en suis fière. Et ne croyez pas que je sois soumise à mon mari ! C'est moi qui m'occupe des papiers et des dépenses !", répète Faiza, qui, avec Karim, revendique un "islam orthodoxe" ou salafiste.

(...)

Les S. apprennent par la presse le refus du Conseil d'Etat d'accorder à la jeune femme la nationalité française. Au nom "d'une pratique radicale de sa religion" qui l'amène à "avoir en société un comportement incompatible avec les valeurs essentielles de la communauté française et notamment avec le principe de l'égalité des sexes", la mère de famille est déboutée d'une demande qu'elle avait déposée en 2004 "pour avoir la même nationalité que ses enfants et son mari".

(...)

Les S. ne comprennent toujours pas en quoi le niqab est choquant ou opprime la femme et s'indignent de la possibilité d'une loi qui en interdirait le port. "On avait cru comprendre qu'en France, pays de la liberté et de l'égalité, la diversité des cultures était une richesse", argumente Karim. "Nous aussi, il y a des choses qui nous choquent : les pédés qui vivent ouvertement ensemble, les couples qui ne se marient pas, les femmes à moitié nues dans la rue...", s'emporte-t-il.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Tue Jun 23rd, 2009 at 03:55:29 PM EST
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I see this as evidence that the values of French/western culture in terms of individual liberty and equality have not been successfully imparted to the subject of the article.  This is why I think having more assimilated French people wear the burqa as a pure fashion statement and in equal measure NOT wear the burqa, to make another statement, would be useful.

Perhaps this is crux of the matter?  

Perhaps France's (or Sarkozy's or whomever believes that women should not be allowed to dress in a manner that suggests submissiveness or explicitly expresses their religious beliefs) concept or expectation of "integration" is such that it inherently cannot accomodate a particular set of immigrants?  

I hestitate to suggest the following, because I fear people will react with a knee-jerk response and not give any thought to what I say.  But I really do think it worth saying.  

America - see, already I can tell people's blood pressure just went up - America has many many faults, and has an imperfect record on immigration, but so far as I have been able to gather, I, who read ET almost daily, I who read media outside the mainstream, I who am open to and curious about other cultures, I who am the desendant of both immigrants (from France, even!) and Native Americans, -I think the rest of the world may be able to learn from America's contempoary attitude toward immigration.  I don't suggest this because I believe it is good only because it is American, because I believe in American hegemony, or because I am an arrogant twit.  I suggest this because we do appear to successfully avoid some of the cultural problems facing other countries, specifically when it comes to "integration."  Our problem is too many people coming into the country and how they are getting in - not how they conduct themselves after they have arrived.  

Like many countries, we have ignorant citizens whose patriotic zeal or xenophobic mentality make them hostile to immigrants.  Like many countries, we have an economy which lacks enough jobs to go around, and this makes people hostile to immigrants.  We have to figure out how to deal with people here illegally.  We have to have to figure out how to deal with people who are refugees.  We have lots and lots of issues.  But one issue we do not have to a very great extent is "integration."   Why is this not a problem?  Certainly immigrants assimilate to varying degrees.  Some are eager to join the mainstream.  Some prefer to maintain their distinct culture.  Most try to balance a bit of both.  

Like European nations, America is a "western" nation, with a strong Judeo-Christian history, with strong ties to the Enlightment ideals and classical liberalism.  Why aren't we plagued with problems of integration?

Here's my best guess:
Immigrants are integrated into American society the same way natural-born citizens are: they go to school, learn our consitution, learn the language, pass some tests, hold a job, pay bills, obey the laws - laws which apply to everyone, not just immigrants (<-this last one presenting our difficulty with illegal immigrants).  These are the same things we ask of all people, immigrants or not.  And just as we don't tell natural-born citizens what they can wear or eat or believe, we don't tell immigrants.  You get to keep your culture & religion (but good luck avoiding the trappings of ours!)  Heck, we may even decide to co-opt it & profit off it.  And this doesn't contradict the Enlightment ideals America brought from France.

Of course if you wear a burqa around small town Oklahoma, you will likely have some trouble with the neighbors.  But having asshole neighbors is far different than having federal laws which explicitly ban your culture.  

Fran asked how she could communicate with a woman in a burqa.  How do you communicate with them?  When they want to communicate with you, I am sure they will eventually find a way.  It may take several generations.  

But before that can happen, I think at least 2 things need to happen:  these women need to trust, not "be informed" but "trust" that their government & society will provide them security if they choose to leave that of their family.  There is nothing empowering or encouraging about laws which deny her the dignity of chosing her path, her religion, her mode of dress for herself.  When your President declares there is no place for you in his country, this does not breed mutual trust.  If anything, it confirms the messages they receive from the culture which promotes the wearing of burqas.  Secondly, by suggesting that the burqa is danger to your society, its values, its citizens, you infuse a piece of cloth with extra meaning and power.  I suspect it is a vestiment that already has a powerful effect on the person wearing it, and the person who wants it worn in their presence.  Which is why it persists.  So why not break the spell?  Why infuse it with even more power by declaring it a threat, dangerous?  Regardless of the women wh wear it, there are individuals in the society that promotes burqa and in the society which condemns them who do subsribe to the "Clash of Civilisations" theory, who do see themselves at war with each.  Why give these ignorant people actual validation of their misguided beliefs?  Because I'm, pretty sure that's a garanteed consequence of banning burqas.  Whether banning them will protect or liberate women or secure the foundation of French society, who knows?   I don't see how it encourages integration, though.  

And yes, I have just argued that integration is a two-way street and not solely the responsibilty of the immigrant.  I really believe that.  Not because that's the way America does it.  But because it has been proven to be more effective, if integration is what you truly want.  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

This is just another play by Sarkozy to the right wing anti muslim community just as the right wing in America is always attacking the Mexicans.

My prediction; this will never become a law if we're speaking of banning burqas in the street. It is not enforceable. Are we going to arrest Muslim women in burqas only to have their brothers bombing Gallerie Lafayette?

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!