While I did spend time in France, it was limited towards work and I couldn’t really discover France’s many internal norms and tensions. However, I was able to talk with French officers and Legionnaires to gather their various perspectives; one of which was the separation of church and state. While many soldiers voiced their perspectives, the common consensus was that typically fear, is the root to the many tensions in France right now. I agree.
The New York Times article discussed a Muslim woman’s interaction with her fellow citizens and how her religious attire singles her out, making her a target of xenophobia. I think that this growing intolerance is a product of a fear where France is recovering from a multitude of attacks, all of which were perpetrated by Muslims who joined terror networks. Furthermore, France like many other EU nations, have become hosts to a plethora of refugees from war torn regions, and many of them are Muslim. Furthermore, the economic situation and culture class help grow resentment and xenophobia; migrants became a very opportune target. It’s very easy then to create an out-group and to blame an entire religion just because a few madmen decided to hurt civilians.
In creating this out-group, the headscarf is a very visible item of clothing, making it easy for individuals to differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims. Unfortunately, like the article mentioned, the headscarf is become the 21st century Jewish Yellow Star. This piece of clothing from a legal standpoint has been debated to whether it violates France’s 1905 law on the separation between church and state. This debate also is driven by older fears of when the church had significant influence over French policy. That said, the utilization of religion in conjunction with terror activities can help nurture the fear of another violent religion.
The debate over the right to wear a headscarf as well as the non-Muslim public’s perception continues as France is currently engaged in dealing with their growing migrant population as well as security fears. I believe that it would be better for both communities to grow lines of communication and transparency. That way, while there is still debate over the separation between church and state, the fear and discontent will slowly decrease.