Burka Ban

Minh Dang

Paper 3: First draft

Spanish Crisis

Background

French government has passed a law that bans people from covering their faces and bodies with burka or niqab veils in public. The law took effect on April 11, 2011. France becomes the first European country to ban burka. Despite the general wording, this law’s target is specific: Muslim women. Therefore, Muslim women now cannot wear burka in public in France. The number of women that are affected is tiny – approximately 350 to 2000 full-veil wearers in France (3). However, the ban itself has drawn a lot of attention. Under the new law, women who are caught wearing burka in public will pay a $200 fine, and men who force women to wear burka will pay a $43,000 fine (Newcomb).

Victory for Tolerance

The law is intended to protect Muslim women from oppression. Muslim men force women to wear veil, which is a sign of male oppression. Fadela Amara, the former housing minister in French government, calls the burka “a kind of tomb, a horror for those trapped within it” (Langley). President Nicholas Sarkozy also claims that burka is no longer a religious symbol, but “a sign of enslavement” (Newcomb). French politicians who support the law regard burka ban as an iceberg of male oppression. The law is expected to bring justice to Muslim women. Qanta Ahmed argues that the secular societies have been exploited by insular neo-orthodoxy Muslims, who absolutely palce no priority on the status of their women. France’s burka ban is a brave step to protect Muslims women.

Other Assumptions

Just as there are laws against being naked in public, there should be some law that is against being completely covered. Both can create public distractions and violate proper dress code. However, the problem with this assumption would be the classification of general sense of proper dress. If the justification is against all improper dress in public, a far too broad range of laws is required.

Negative impact

The westerners...