It seems that the hijab has taken on a life of its own in France.  The general French Republican view is that it has no place in France’s society of universalism.  Now, amidst the controversy, the hijab has become a symbol of power. While some Muslim women wear the hijab simply because it is part of their religious traditions, others have taken to wearing it as a symbol of resistance to those still trying to dominate every aspect of Muslim lives, even the sacred parts.  France continues to use the hijab as a means of oppression and control.

Given the history of the French and Arabs, specifically, Algeria, it is unclear why the hijab is still as contentious as it is today.  In this era of globalization and population displacement, hanging on to the ideology of colonization seems ridiculous.  The French’s obsession with Muslim women removing their hijabs stems from the “exotic and mysterious Muslim woman” – an image that the French themselves created from their own fantasies.

Ironically, the consequences of banning the hijab in certain public spaces in France outweighs any gains that the French government may acquire.  If Muslim women who wear the hijab are also French citizens, then the French Republican ideology of equality and sameness for all is just a sham.  If the other religions, such as Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism do not call for such a visible form of adherence, that is no fault of the Islamic religion.  Also, if the French feel that they are freeing or saving Muslim women, then they are mistaken.  Since the French believe that Muslims follow a patriarchal hierarchy, then insulting the Muslim women by insisting that they remove their hijabs will not go over well with their male relatives.  Mostly likely, the Muslim men will become even more protective of their female relatives. In a nutshell, banning the hijab will backfire and reflect negatively on the French government and its supporters.  It will also continue to marginalize the very population that they are trying to integrate into French society and therefore, back to square one.

Reference

Scott, Joan Wallach, The politics of the veil.  Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press (2007).