Banning Burqas?

The banning of burqas in Europe has become a major controversial issue recently. Burqas, an Islamic clothing garment worn by women that covers the entire face and body, have been banned in France and ideas of the ban are spreading to nearby countries. Reactions on the ban vary tremendously. Some completely support the ban, some agree with parts of it, and others believe it is an unjust violation of religious freedom. All of these views have varied according to who the person is. A Muslim woman who wears the burqa by choice for instance has a completely different stance on this issue than a woman born with westernized values or that perhaps hasn't been exposed to the meanings behind Islamic religious practices.

Those in favor of the ban of burqas have come to this conclusion due to how they were raised and their environment. The burqa is said to be very oppressive towards women. For these reasons, specific people are inclined toward supporting the bill. Many women's rights activists supported the passing of this bill because they believed they were liberating women. They believed that wearing a burqa erased a woman's identity marking her as unimportant. Men in some cases forced their wives through violence to wear burqas as well, so it no longer became a choice for the women. Burqas were also believed to be a means of segregation between men and women which in the women's rights activists eyes (and others as well) was extremely unfair and something worth fighting against. A women raised with a strong sense of independence and equality, then, would serve as a specific subject-position that would support such a ban.

On the other side, are women who live in France (the first country to ban the burqa) that choose to wear the burqa. No one, including their husbands, has forced these women to wear the burqa and many of these women feel extremely violated by this bill. These women choose to wear the burqa as a sign of their humbleness to God and believe that by wearing the burqa, it allows them to have a closer, deeper relationship with Him. Muslim women who wear the burqa grew up with and learned that the burqa and other like headdresses were a means of expressing their relationship with God. It is how they show Him their love, loyalty, and humbleness. To have the right to wear this clothing garment taken away is terrible for them. Due to their subject-position of growing up using the burqa as a means of communication with God, we see a huge conflict with other subject-positions who perhaps don't understand this viewpoint.

I had a really hard time taking a side on this issue. There are so many valid points made by both sides of the argument. I believe strongly in the rights of women and the right to practice one's religion, speech, etc. In this situation, the ban would take away one's right to practice their religion so when it came down to it, freedom of religion is what made my decision. Growing up in a house where we were encouraged to accept everyone and embrace differences no matter if we agree or not is what has led me to this subject-position I believe. (Fighting for these women's rights can be done in other ways such as imposing bans or jail time upon men who force the wearing of the burqa upon women instead of having to ban the burqa altogether, for example.)

In order for many of these subject-positions to somewhat 'come together,' understanding of both sides of this issue really needs to be done. Although I have only explored a few of the viewpoints on this issue, truly understanding all aspects and viewpoints will really help improve situations like this for nearly everyone.