In case you were unaware, French President Sarkozy is calling for a ban on the niqab on France (they already prevent Muslims from going to school with a headscarf), i.e a ban in total. Nowhere in public can you wear a niqab. Except the man (my sister, a non-muslim, exclaims, "the ignorant tool!") doesn't even know the right word for the Islamic facial covering.He is calling for a ban on the "burka". Now I understand that some people call the Pakistani chador with a mesh screen and more pleating (more pleating is typical of Aghanistan's "burka") the "burka." They do so in error. This garment is a chador, and is purely cultural. Having worn one, yes, I own one, I can say for a fact it is not an Islamic garment, as Islamic clothing is meant to make a woman's life in public easy. In an Afghani chador I cannot see my feet or to the side of my face. I do not have free hands as I have to HOLD the garment closed, whereas in my niqab and my abaya I have free movement of my limbs and no impediment to my sight. Also, in the sunnah Aisha R.A (may Allah be pleased with her) never covered her eyes in total with fabric. She always had her sight free. So the Afghani "burqa" and Pakistani mesh chador are not Islamic garments. If that is what President Sarkozy meant when he said "'The burkha is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.' " I would have agreed with him. It is not welcome in my life for sure. I like the use of my hands and arms, and I like to see where I am going. That's halal for a woman, ya know?! Anyways, and so.... he still would have been using the wrong term. You think if you are gonna pass a law, you'd use the right name for it. Ya know, to stop confusion?
If you are going to put it in writing that women in France are not allowed to wear burkas then this is what you are banning: 
A Gulf mask worn to keep the sand out of the mouth resembling a falcon's beak. Hmmmm..... Or, if you still think that Afghani thing is what a burka is (cuz we already know you're ignorant and can forgive you for that) this: 
Yeah, besides some pervy dude who likes to dress up in latex under this Afghani ebay find and take lots of pictures of himself while creepily storing Muslim women's photos on his flickr site, WHO ELSE IN FRANCE IS WEARING A "BURKA"?!!!!!
A Gulf mask worn to keep the sand out of the mouth resembling a falcon's beak. Hmmmm..... Or, if you still think that Afghani thing is what a burka is (cuz we already know you're ignorant and can forgive you for that) this: Yeah, besides some pervy dude who likes to dress up in latex under this Afghani ebay find and take lots of pictures of himself while creepily storing Muslim women's photos on his flickr site, WHO ELSE IN FRANCE IS WEARING A "BURKA"?!!!!! "The president was supporting a weekend call by dozens of French politicians for a parliamentary commission to study whether the burkha, which is growing in popularity in France, should be banned. He laid out his support for a ban even before the panel has been approved - braving critics who fear the issue could stigmatise Muslims in France. "
Of course, we know you mean niqab, Mr. Sakozy. But niqab is this http://ilovehishmatheblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-progress-types-of-niqab.html. Sure, of course, you do have the words in your vobaulary to ban all of these, but can you truly ban scarves, and face coverings? Because niqab:
...is very similiar to this:
Of course, we know you mean niqab, Mr. Sakozy. But niqab is this http://ilovehishmatheblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-progress-types-of-niqab.html. Sure, of course, you do have the words in your vobaulary to ban all of these, but can you truly ban scarves, and face coverings? Because niqab:
...is very similiar to this:
It'd really hurt the Paris fashion industry, ya know. For example...
Christian Lacroix:
Alexander McQueen:
John Paul Gaultier
Christian Dior:
Givenchy:
Karl Lagerfeild over at Chanel:
Your wife's body sold magazine covers, clothing, perfume, music.... She danced naked like a piece of meat for the cameras and I guarantee you men besides yourself jerked off to the sight of her naked flesh. I don't think bad of her for this. That some abuse something she made in art or need of finance is their sin not hers but MY body is not a commodity, though I don't doubt I could sell it for a small fortune IF I wanted to (I just don't believe in doing so---Muslim women do not hide because we are ashamed---we do not hide at all but reveal WHAT IT IS WE BELIEVE IN AND THAT IS INTREGRAL TO WHO WE ARE). I won't even put it (my body/face) on display even on the street, before your eyes, because what have you done to guarantee my protection? What have you done to see the curves of my body? I am not attracted to you. You don 't have ideals I share. You have never offered anything up that made me happy, so what makes you deserving of my lips when they smile or share frienship in a look of understanding when you have offered me neither? What right have you, as my oppressor, to see the sorrow of my oppression (BY YOU) on the taut lines of my face? At least, let me keep that. Or have you no mercy, that you take away my education and means to earn a living already? You are the same as the Taliban with their "burka".
Alexander McQueen:
John Paul Gaultier Christian Dior:
Givenchy:Karl Lagerfeild over at Chanel:LOL, tell it to Lagerfield, Dior, Lacroix, Givenchy, McQueen, and Gaultier Mr. Sakozy: "'In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity,' he said to extended applause in Versailles, at a joint session of France's two houses of parliament. " I doubt they will applaud you truly decide to pursue banning facial covering for ALL women citizens of France. You only intend to ban it from Muslim women, and it is obvious, dahhhhhhhhhling.
If you ban my niqab, I'm just going to wear two of Mr. Gaultier's bridal veils. Because unless you want to ban hats, high colars, and bridal veils, good luck. You HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY attack the muslimeen. And if you decide to, only Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala alone can help you. Good luck with that Mr. Sarkozy. France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, an estimated 5 million.
My niqab does not cut me off from society. You're the one that wants to seperate your country "women" from niqab but they don't want freedom from it. They have the freedom to take it off in France, and since they don't they obviously want to wear it. You oppress them by forcing them to leave the country like refugees, banning them from workplaces and schools because of their beliefs.
Mr. Sarkozy "declared that the full-body religious gown is a sign of the 'debasement' of women. " This is what I consider the debasement of women Mr. Sarkozy:
Your wife's body sold magazine covers, clothing, perfume, music.... She danced naked like a piece of meat for the cameras and I guarantee you men besides yourself jerked off to the sight of her naked flesh. I don't think bad of her for this. That some abuse something she made in art or need of finance is their sin not hers but MY body is not a commodity, though I don't doubt I could sell it for a small fortune IF I wanted to (I just don't believe in doing so---Muslim women do not hide because we are ashamed---we do not hide at all but reveal WHAT IT IS WE BELIEVE IN AND THAT IS INTREGRAL TO WHO WE ARE). I won't even put it (my body/face) on display even on the street, before your eyes, because what have you done to guarantee my protection? What have you done to see the curves of my body? I am not attracted to you. You don 't have ideals I share. You have never offered anything up that made me happy, so what makes you deserving of my lips when they smile or share frienship in a look of understanding when you have offered me neither? What right have you, as my oppressor, to see the sorrow of my oppression (BY YOU) on the taut lines of my face? At least, let me keep that. Or have you no mercy, that you take away my education and means to earn a living already? You are the same as the Taliban with their "burka".Yes, Mr. Sarkozy, "the full-body religious gown is a sign of the 'debasement' of women" and that is why your wife, and representative of the country of France, no longer poses naked on magazine covers. Because she is more worthy than that, held to higher standards. If I were to use your line of thinking, that would be oppressive. In your style of thought she should have "no standards". But I do. I believe EVERY single woman out there deserves the same standard, and that standard is, that every woman is representative of power, the power of mankind. BEYOND THAT OF A COUNTRY. She has a responsiblity to women, and that means at the core, to herself, to be valued for more than her face and figure. To contribute to society, with more than that.
Yes, Mr. Sarkozy, "the full-body religious gown is a sign of the 'debasement' of women" , that is your wife wears more clothes now than she used to. You don't really care about women. You don't want to ban "facial covering". You want to ban Islam. I will pray for you. InshaAllah you will be guided.
Comments
I look forward to more posts such as these, they offer a very refreshing perspective !
sorry for language mistakes,
SwRwB,may Allah bless you InchaAllah
Aïsha
double standards.
The most ridiculous thing is the flimsy "hijab" his wife wore to Tunisia (or Algeria, I can't remember which one...) out of "respect". Why don't they show some respect to the people in their own country first?
If he bans it, it is exactly the same as those who make it mandatory. For each way, women have no choice and forcing things on a woman that she may not want is disgusting. Alhamdulillah that we are not living in France.
I do not think it is fair for you to say the Pakistani or Afghani garment is debasing. I know some sisters that live overseas that are very happy for it. It is culturally their answer to the more traditional niqab and jilbab but in itself is not debasing. Only for those sisters who are forced to wear them do I feel it is wrong.
Secondly I have to say I found your reference to masturbation to be unnecessary. Insha'allah most of your readers are mature adult women and as such we KNOW what men think/do when confronted with wanton displays of nakedness. That does not mean we need to be reminded of it ukhti.
I had just told one of my friends about your blog and how it enjoins the halal and forbids the haram (in regards to Islamic dressing) and also showcases fun Islamic fashion. I recommended she allow her teenage daughter to view your website to encourage her in modest yet fun Islamic coverings. I would not want her or any other young Muslimah exposed to that type of language/thought insha'Allah.
And Allah swt is the best judge.
Umm Aaminah
BTW, anonymous comments aren't published at all on this blog by antone unless you use a fake name at the end or something or have a profile. Sign it like this -Pixie
Of course the majority of people in France don't wer niqab or pose naked, but if your President's wife is allowed to pose naked, shouldn't a woman also be allowed to do what she wants with her body, like wear niqab? You only want to ban facial covering for Muslim women. You don't care about non-muslims who practice it. That is prejudiced and racist.
My blog is for Muslim women old enough to wear hijab so it is for Muslim women who are old enough to be married/have sex. "I would not want her or any other young Muslimah exposed to that type of language/thought insha'Allah."
The Prophet sallalahu alahi wa salaam never left out the subject of sex and often gave examples of bad and good behaviour. I know alot of Muslims are culturaly inclinded not to do in discussions, but Islamically I am inclinded to do so, as for some it is something they would not have known, and this post in sincerly addressed to non-muslim readers, anyone searching in support of the niqab ban. You might not find it necessary to point out, but I do. People need to be blunt sometimes. And Muslims shouldn't be scared about the subject of sex. It isn't taboo, and should be spoken about more to ummah as it is sunnah to have knowledge about the subject.
I said I personally find the meshed chador suppressive. #1 even at its most strict one eye must be left free to see the way to have an Islamic facial covering of the sunnah. In a mesh chador I cannot see my feet, or to the sides of my face, so it is restrictive and not safe for general public use.
#2 The hands are not free. Aisha R.A had her hands showing. So this is, again, not a garment of the sunnah. It is a cultural one, that was meant to show off the status of a man who had wives so well off they didn't need to do ANYTHING. Status symbols of the like are no Islamically appropriate as jilbab.
I think the garments have beautiful embroidery, but they aren't proper jilbab, that's FOR SURE> They ARE cultural, and not Islamic.
If you want to wear one, go ahead, but don't call it Islamic dressing, because it had no origins in Islam.
Since it is NOT an Islamic garment whatsoever (though if you took off the face mesh you COULD use it as a prayer garment which is what I wanted mine for) nor a useful garment beyond bleding in culturally in some places, I personally do not want Muslim women to wear it. Nothing in Islam of the sunnah says impede your sight or become physically useless when you go out.
Not all women are like his wife, yet that is where he wants to take the status of women to in his country. Whats the racist git going to ban next? Clothes??
Additionally, there's an amazing amount of cultural imperialism at work here. The French culture is not the end all to be all (and I'd say the same thing about my own culture here in America).
Well you made a very good case mashAllah. I have been to France several times and I can't believe how 'loose' their culture is. It is also affecting the muslims out there. InshaAllah they become strong again and resist these silly rules that are being made.
Also, whoever said that Pixie is bragging, I know her (in person) and she is mashAllah a beautiful gal inside and out, Allah protect her Ameen.
I was quiet shocked about the hush hush correction on the subject of masturbation. In Islam just because sex (or as i prefer to call it love making )is supposed to be shared between a husband and a wife, does not make it a taboo to talk about it, and the halal and haram ways to go about sex. Hijab does not take away the sexuality of a woman, it merely protects her of the sexual attention which is not pure or harmful. Yes, a woman can enjoy sex as much as she wants to with her husband, sex is a wonderful thing, it is a blessing and a pleasure which can be enjoyed to the fullest within a marriage. Just because there are rules in Islam, this does not mean Islam denies us our needs. It actually directs our behavior so our needs could be satisfied in the way that is most pure and protects us from harm.
I really have a problem with Islam being practiced based on a culture and not vice versa. It really sometimes gives the wrong image of Islam as being something opressive and to certain extents even inhumane! That goes mostly for the way men are treated as absolute masters over the women, while the women are silenced.
Yeah, so sorry lol had to get my word out. STOP OPPRESSING MUSLIM WOMEN WHETHER YOU ARE A FRENCH MAN, A TURK OR AN EGYPTIAN.
I will soon post on how muslim woemn are oppressed and discriminated in muslim countries regarding hijab, so keep in touch!
Salaam!
Gosh.. I think I hate Sarkozy, I already thought it was bad enough banning Hijab from schools.. but Niqab from EVERYWHERE?!... W-T-H???!.. what is he scared of?? :S.. that we're different?... Can't he see he's the one oppressing Muslim women in FRANCE??!....
I mean seriously.. we can do EVERYTHING we wanna do!!.. the fact that some arab cultures mistreat and oppress women that doesn't mean ISLAM does!!.. Islam is FREEDOM.. arghhh I'm so mad at this stupid attempt-of-human-being!!!!
He doesn't even know what he's talking about!!!!.... stupid STUPID!!!!! arghhhh..... :(:(:(...
I'm so sad for my sisters in France, I'll make duaa for them inch'allah!!
I was like, "who is wearing a BURKA in France?!" and then I thought, "how stupid that they can't even get the terms right... a burka is what the eldery Emirati ladies where, and the garment Sarkozy is trying to say is actually a Pakistani/Afghani head-to-toe outfit... um, get your facts straight dude!!"
Good post, as usual :-D
It's just annoying that he doesn't even know what he's talking about. It'd be interesting if he bans "burka" because Niqab is fine :P
Btw.. is it illegal to be a Nun too? No offense, but people assume that wearing Hijab/Niqab is oppressive, degrading, etc. But they think Nuns are respectable women. idk how it works in France, I just wonder if they'll ban those ladies from being Nuns too, or it's just Islamophobia.
oh yeah is it ever! when my dad was growing up there (he moved there when he was 12) he was constantly harassed just based on his background. They won't ever stop. Their big old hypocrites, screaming how unfair the Jews are to Palestinians yet at the same time they treat muslims worse than animals. I'm surprised they banned hijab first, and not the other way around. Also, they have this big fear their going to be outnumbered in the next generation, because most of the white europeans dont want to have kids, so now the muslims are basically taking over. lol. it wont make a difference if there are 1 million cultural muslims or 5 million cultural muslims living there unless the muslims there hang onto their deen. that will have a bigger impact. thats what the french are afraid of. Allah guide them inshaAllah
-Samira
There is definately a double standard here.
okay so a muslim lady i know (she speaks arabic) was explaining to me that every country uses a different word for face covering, like the words isdal, burqa or niqab. its too confusing. but what would be the right word for the blue burka from afghanistan? isnt that just a burqa?
They play on peoples fears and ignorance, it's really disgusting. And all those conservative Christian types I run into who are all for banning aspects of other religions just don't realize that eventually, they're going to be on the radar too.
His wife wears more clothes now becuase it's not dignified, or fitting for the wife of an 'important figure' to dress like a skank or strip or pose nude. So why is it okay for anyone else to do those things? It's not dignified no matter who you are.
mashallah excellent post, u know what upsets me is all the comments in newspapers and stuff, they all mention that if a women is a niqabi she is forced to do so, why dont they ever ask the niqabi who contributes to society and chooses it!!
You're right, he is speaking of the burka/niqab...whichever word we choose to refer to the garment. (We should remember that what we call a "vest" in the US is not at all a "vest" in the UK. This is not due to "ignorance" on the part of Americans, per se, but because that's just what happens when different countries/cultures absorb vocabulary from their global counterparts.)
In France, their approach to religion is not at all the same as in the US. France though considered a largely "catholic" country (it is the dominant religion there) is, like most of Europe, primarily "humanist". As an American, this idea was very foreign to me, but Frenchmen (and Germans...I used to live in Germany, as well)tend to have a humanist perspective.
For example, in Germany, headscarves are not allowed in the classroom. However, crosses are not, either. There is to be no religious symbolism in the classroom.
While Muslims may perceive that as a personal affront, so could Christians.
Sarkozy doesn't want the full face covering being worn by women in France and I'm inclined to agree...though for different reasons. His reasoning is that a woman shouldn't be forced to wear it. However, he does not realize that what he is doing, though well-meaning, is also "forcing" something upon women. What about women who actually WANT to wear the face covering?? Should they be forced, by Sarkozy, to NOT wear it? Either way, women are going to be "forced" to wear or not wear the garment. This is a dilemma that I feel he has not realized.
Headcovering, etc. are allowed to be worn freely outside of the school, of course. This is demonstrative of the very French, relatively strict idea of the separation of church and state. While this exists "in theory" in the US, we place the word "God" on our currency, monuments, and use bibles to swear in witnesses in courts and to swear in our presidents. In France, this would not at all fly. This is why religious symbols are not allowed in schools...you can't wear a big cross there the way you can in American schools.
I don't perceive this as an attack on muslims. While I am not muslim, my mother is. (My father is Christian.)
I see this as a well-meaning act that wasn't thought out well enough.
While I don't agree with your veil analogy, because they're usually worn, especially in France, in the confines of a church and fashion runways are usually forums for experimental and avant garde "art", I do wonder what they feel about catholic nuns. They wear everything but a face covering...I wonder if they see that as the oppression of women, as well.
Salam from Malaysia