Freedom is veiled in France

France has taken position for long to separate the state and the church (yes, it was church originally). To large extent they were successful to diminish the influence of church on the state but not completely. Many of the Christian symbols continue to be part of public life at large. No one raise question about bearing wedding rings or hanging picture of Jesus in the schools. As the society became more multi-cultural and multi-ethnic then people from different cultures and religion also started to show their religious/custom symbols at public places.

This process became slowly unbearable to the state and France choose to redefine secularism. First, France banned religious symbols in schools and other public institutions. I personally supported this ban because some people were taking too much advantage of religious freedom. For example, girls were not allowed to attained biology classes, particularly reproduction related classes, and they were not allowed to attained compulsory physical training in the school. There were some instances when students asked for a break in the middle of the exam to pray. I felt this was exploitation of freedom.

But now the state is intruding into the personal life of individuals. Last year, French immigration department and the court denied citizenship to the Moroccan woman because she was using hijab or burqa. Though the argument was given by the immigration authorities that she did not integrate with the French society but it is anyone's guess what happened. This case already made too much discomfort in the Muslim society in France but to make situation worse French president Sarkozy has said now that Islamic burqa is not welcomed in France. His argument is that it is not the requirement of the Islam to bear burqa. Though he is right technically because the Quran did not say anything about burqa explicitly. But here is what Quran says in Al-Noor about the dress code for the followers

"And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary. They shall cover their chests, and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. All of you shall repent to GOD, O you believers, that you may succeed."

Quran only recommends the believing women to cover their body and chest in particular. There is no mention to cover from head-to-toe in a burqa. Even a jeans and long sleeve t-shirt should be perfectly Islamic according to the Quran's view. But on the contrary if a women wants to bear burqa to cover her body then she should have freedom to do so. She might be bearing burqa because of her culture, tradition or family pressure but it is all personal. State has no right to interfere in personal life. Of course, if a woman rebel against her family pressure to bear burqa then the state should provide her protection and social help to lead her life in a way she want to, without burqa.

The more pressure state will put on individuals, the more it will be helpful for the extremist to spread fundamentalist ideology. Choice is of the people in a democracy to choose what they want but the minorities need to be taken care of even if they do not have enough votes.