It appears that France has followed Spain's lead and banned the burka. The penalty for wearing the full-faced veil is approximately $200 and/or a rehabilitation program. According to the rhetoric on Salon.com, if a man is found guilty of forcing a woman to veil, he could be fined $40,000 and spend a year in jail. (Salon.com Photo) As I stated last week, I find this sort of legal action a violation of women's rights rather than a protection of them. Granted, the veil's origins are rooted in a desire to protect men from being tempted by female sexuality. The very fact that women are physically hidden is representative of their social status. Moroccan author Fatima Mernissi discusses the origins of veiling at length in her book Beyond the Veil. However, this doesn't change the fact that many women choose to wear the veil of their own accord. Some Muslim women simply view it as religious or cultural devotion. If you strip the veil from them, then it does not mean they are liberated or their status is elevated. We should be focusing on empowering women to make their own choices, not in forcing them to interpret feminism as the West does.
In the end, the veil is a symbol with different meanings for those who are interpreting it. Western lawmakers see it as oppression. Advocates for veiling see the ban as oppression. I say anything that restricts a woman's choice is oppression--be it cultural or legal.
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