Reply #23: I think it's ridiculous.

[chicaloca]

First of all, most Muslim women I know don't understand Westerners' obsession with the hijab. As far as I can tell, it's just another example of our complete obsession with women's bodies, and, as many here have said, it's just another way to regulate what women wear and do. I mean, really, either way it's a bunch of men telling women what to do (and yes, the French government _is_ primarily men). Quite frankly, with the way men treat me on the street here in Minnesota when I'm wearing anything less than a huge bulky jacket, gloves, a hood, and baggy jogging pants, I can understand all too well how Muslim women would want to be spared the disgusting comments and leers that I and my non-veiled friends get everywhere we go.

Furthermore, there's all this talk about the hijab as oppressive, blah, blah, blah, Muslim men are evil women-haters, blah blah blah. I'll certainly admit that there are a lot of problems with how many Muslim cultures treat women, but how the hell is banning the hijab in schools going to change that? I see this everywhere in politics--everyone deciding for women what's best for us, without consulting a single damn woman. Well, I'd like to offer my opinion, although I'm sure no politician, French or American, will care. I do NOT want restrictions placed on me, and I don't give a rat's ass if it's the government or my husband dictating what I wear. It's the same damn thing no matter who does it. Why not help women for real by giving funding to domestic violence shelters, by offering culture courses to help immigrants understand their new countries, and by offering scholarships for Muslim women who want to go to college? Why not give funding to train teachers in sensitive cultural and gender issues, or build women's centers in primarily Muslim neighborhoods?

Really, why doesn't that happen? Am I as a woman not worth that much? Are Muslim women not worth that effort? Banning the hijab is a band-aid solution that does _not_ address anything that would significantly change their situation. In fact, it will probably achieve exactly the opposite of what Chirac wants, when French Muslims decide to build their own private schools and segregate themselves even more to avoid the restrictions of the government. Then the women Chirac claims he wants to help will be beyond his reach--but he'll have gotten reelected because the non-Muslims in his country won't see women wearing hijabs anymore. And the Muslim community will be abandoned and betrayed again, just like the West does every time we say we're going to help them.

On a completely different train of thought, how will the government decide what _is_ a religious symbol? If I wear my Isis necklace, is that considered a religious symbol? Some people may wear it simply because they're interested in ancient Egypt, but what about people who _do_ follow the Kemetic religion, or other lesser-known religions? It would be awfully silly to allow me religious freedom but not my Christian, Jewish, or Muslim friends. In short, I don't think a ban like this could be enforced.

And, for the reasons stated above, I don't think it should come to pass in the first place.