Post on 07-Feb-2023
M95MC
Media and culture Theory
Coventry University
01/14/2014
First and Last Name: Mohammed Boussoufa
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Student ID: 5217430
Academic year: 2013/2014
This paper will go through a timely and
controversial topic about the ban of wearing the Niqab
(Face covering) in public in France. The issue of the ban
of Islamic signs into western societies is not a new
topic, but it had a long history of struggle and
confrontation. If we look back to the twenty’s century
and exactly in the 1989 when two French Muslim
Adolescents were not allowed to enter the school because
they refused to remove their Hijabs (Headscarves), after
that there was a similar attempt to ban the Hijab in
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Educational institutions in Turkey in 1998. Moreover, in
February 2004, the French parliament adopted a law which
prohibits students to wear any kind of sings or clothing
that demonstrate religious affiliation such as crosses or
turbans and of course the Hijab represents an Islamic
motto. Muslim girls then will be allowed to pursue their
education unless they take off their headscarves. It is
stated that not only the Muslim community which
represents a minority in the French territory who were
involved in such harsh debates, but also in the Arab
world which had seen many demonstrations claiming that
wearing the headscarves is not an issue in western
societies rather is a command from God as it is mentioned
in the Quran according to the Islamic religion (Dabbous-
Sensenig, 2006). In April 2011, the ex- president of
France Nicolas Sarkozy passed a law to ban the Niqab
covering the face in public places, which was accepted by
the majority of the members of upper and lower house of
the French parliament ( BBC, 2010; Guardian, 2010). The
issue of banning the covering of the face in public
places was considered as one of the hot top topic at that
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time represented by the different mass media especially
when a French veiled woman was asked in Paris for an
identity check from the police. The ban means that women
who are veiled are not supposed to be present in areas
where they are open to the public such as cafes, parks,
restaurants, and even public transport .As a result of
this, the whole country in general was unstable and
tensions last for months which shocked the politicians,
and Paris in particular witnessed several nights of car-
burning and public violence (Chrisafis, 2013).
To start with, there is no denying that the ban of
the Niqab is a debatable topic in western societies and
precisely in France especially after the law of 2011. A
definition of textual analysis will be a very important
clue which can help both the researcher and the reader to
better understand while doing the analysis. According to
McKee (2003) states that textual analysis is way for the
researchers to study the lives, cultures of the others in
the world they live in through collecting information,
describing visuals, or interpreting recorded messages.
The interpretation of texts could be applied on pictures,
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movies, and magazines. It is said that doing textual
analysis is not applied at a random interpretation rather
than on an educated guess that could bring extra
information and deep meaning. Before to embark in such
analysis, it would be vital to identify the signs in the
picture. There are iconic and linguistics signs which
represent the image. The iconic signs denote a human body
which might exhibit a female gender as it is noticed, the
eyes are the only things can be seen. Wearing eye-glasses
could ease the way for her to recognise everyday
activities like going to the right direction, identifying
objects. In addition to that, she is holding a red
booklet with a sense of dignity and honour. We can see
that through her eye- contact and stand. The Female body
is covered in a full black garment as well as black
gloves in the hand. The linguistics signs which stand for
a front cover of a French Passport if we look at the
picture from above to bottom, we can find Union
Européenne République Française ( European union: the
French republic) and Passport. Holding a French passport
either signifies that she is proud and happy of her
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identity or showing the power of France as a country
which allows people to move freely without any obstacles.
According to Barthes, any linguistic or visual texts are
used to connote things that are attached to the sign;
this he calls it social phenomenon or the making of myth.
It does not have a relation with mythology, but to ways
of thinking about places, people or ideologies that are
constructed to appeal the viewers and readers (Bignell,
1997). What is more, there might be direct or indirect
relation between the iconic and linguistics signs in the
picture. The picture is depicting a woman covered with a
black dress and holding a French passport can be analysed
from different perspectives. Many theorists of colours
like Wiltshire (1990), Moller, and Friedman (2007) stated
that colours in every culture signify and have important
social meanings. The black colour of the dress might be
linked to many concepts like hatred, mistrust, violence,
and death. Some research has come up with findings that
show negative attitudes towards the wearer of black
clothing (Johnson, 2012). The concept of mistrust that
matches the black colour is perhaps one of the major fact
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why the French government banned the face veil in public
places as their citizens would be able to see each other
and can easily distinguish people they meet. On the other
hand, the red colour has negative and positive
implications around cultures. For example in western
countries, red is similar to love, passion, danger as
well as stop signs. Moreover, in the Middle East and
generally in the Arab World, red is seen as a colour of
danger and evil (Designcontest.com, 2013). Holding a red
French passport can have many explanations that might
signify despite of dressing in different or weird
clothing which is not part of the French culture she is
still feeling proud and part of the French Nationality.
As it is mentioned earlier, her passport can facilitate
her moves in the country and overseas.
It is believed that western societies lately had
much quarrels and debates not only on the veils
(headscarves), but also on the Niqab (Face veil) which
represent Muslim female dress. The text above shows a
female which is covered in a black garment or what it is
known as Niqab might be interpreted as a symbol of
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oppression and passiveness. The story of debates started
a few years ago when the ex-French president and his
members endorsed the law of banning the face veil in
public places. People who wear the Niqab are representing
just the minority about 2 per cent of the population
according to a study made by Liberation in 2009. There
were 367 Niqabis at that time, 299 of them were checked
by the police which means that only 13 were not checked
(Nicole, 2012). The ban of the veil in France has led to
several discussions about the religious freedom of
individual in such democratic country. The question that
looms large which they extracted from the discussions: is
the veil mandatory for women to wear in the Islamic
religion?
During the last decades, the different mass media which
include Television programs and radio stations,
newspapers as well as magazines were very interested and
eager to know the point of view of the Muslim scholars
concerning the veil. In fact, the two prevailing Muslim
orthodox poles claim that wearing the headscarf (Hijab)
is somehow necessary as it is a command from God.
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However, they both agree that the face veil (Niqab)
including the hands is not necessary but just a will and
an effort from the wearer (Dabbous-Sensenig, 2006).
According to one of the Muslim Egyptian feminist Nawal
Al-Saadawi during an interview states that the veil is
not Islamic at all and women who think they are wearing
it without force or oppression are victims of
brainwashing and false consciousness (interviewed in the
Daily Star, Mach 1st 2004).
It is stated that most of the western politicians hold
negative views about wearing the headscarf or Niqab. It
is important that people in order to well understand why
Muslim women wear the veil in the west, they should take
into account many factors (Ajrouch, 2007). Dr Abdul Bari,
the leader of Muslim Council in Britain said that Islam
is asking men and women to dress modestly without any
choice of what they should wear. The Muslim community and
especially people from North Africa are considered to be
the largest population in France in comparison with
Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom (Leiken, 2005).
The largest population of the Muslim community and the
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ban of the veiling are both criteria which appealed
Caitlin Killian to do her research in France as she is
sociologist specializing in women studies and
immigration. The research was done in 2003; it was
focused mainly on North African women and what is their
perception about themselves while wearing the veil in a
society like France knowing that the veil is neither part
of their culture or history. Being a woman who did the
research about the topic eased the way for both of them
to communicate deliberately and the women were so excited
and feeling at ease to give as much information as they
can. After having done her examinations on the answers
she obtained, her findings showed that those women
especially the younger and the educated ones claim that
wearing the veil is not something serious which can harm
the society or the government rather than it is a
personal choice and cultural expression which represents
the Islamic religion. In fact, they were using a western
discourse by revealing their integrations into the French
culture, their duties and responsibilities, and what the
law of the country is allowing for each individual
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citizen’s freedom (Killian, 2003). In 2007, Killian
prepared a comparative study on the Muslim community
integration and their veiling. The comparative research
was mainly made in two developed countries that are
France and the United States of America to know how
secularism is circulated in the two countries. The
immigrants of the United States are not obliged to adapt
or to follow the religious practices of the country and
people are free to stick to the religion of the home
country. The main reason why much religious freedom
exists there is the separation of state and church, which
means that the state should remain away and not intervene
with religion. However, the French society and
environment are expecting the immigrants to forget about
their own cultures, religions, and imitate the local
culture of French people to be seen as fully integrated.
Secularism in France prohibits any kind of religion
symbols in public places as well as in educational
institutions. In addition to that, Catholicism is
regarded to be more suitable for practice as a religion
than Islam due to the French atmosphere and the calendar
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(Killian, 2003). What is more, Ajrouch (2007) points out
that there are other differences like the population and
the socioeconomic factors which distinguish the two
nations. Muslim in France are much higher than the United
States, they are representing 8 per cent in France and
only 1 per cent in USA. Furthermore, most of the Muslims
in the US are from different ethnic groups, educated, and
financially powerful, while in France they are mainly
postcolonial working class immigrants. After the 9/11,
the veil becomes more common in the USA as it provides
Muslim women some kind of autonomy, and it is regarded as
a sign of American Islamic Identity (Ajrouch, 2007).
However, Read sees that the media in the west is a major
device which plays a major role in depicting the veil as
a symbol of patriarchy and enforcement. Moreover, he
claims that the veil in both nations is discouraged to be
worn and banned either directly (France), or indirectly
as the case of the US when the wearer is not guaranteed
to get the full rights (Shirazi; Mishra, 2010).
The ban of the veil by many European countries like
France and Belgium a few years ago is implemented for the
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sake to achieve the equality of the gender because it is
considered as a violation of women’s right; this ideology
is much repeated not only by the Western politicians, but
also through the mass media in general. As a result of
this, many people see Islam as a religion which gives
much freedom for men than women concerning the way how to
dress. Nicolas Sarkozy and one of his Ministers defined
the Niqab as an imposing operation on women from their
husbands and a sign of humiliation. Another argument of
banning the veil is to give women the right position they
deserve to be in society as well as to return their
missing dignity and honour. Through some political
debates, politicians agreed that the ban of the veil is
so beneficial for women to get jobs easily because it is
hard for them to find a job in any field while they are
covering their faces with black masks. In addition to
that, the monthly benefit they are receiving from the
government should be stopped from the wearers of the
veil. In relation to that, children especially in primary
school are possible to be subject of negative
psychological effect if they are taught by a veiled
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teacher who is considered to be as a model of teaching
the basics and behaviours of life, and children should
have a special care not only by their parents, but also
by their teachers who spend with them most of the time at
that age (Howard, 2012). According to a research which
was done across some European countries, researchers were
so confused about the issue of the veil is it an
oppression from men or it is a personal choice to
represent their independence and religious freedom. After
a deep examination, Lister et al. (2007) tackled the
topic of the veil from different premises and angles by
suggesting some ideas to be clarified below. One of the
major points they discussed is the veil as an ethnic and
religious symbol. It is noted that wherever there is
immigration from the Muslim World to western societies,
older women wear the veil to keep close to their
identities as well as religious faith. On the other hand,
younger girls are wearing it as a matter of modesty and
difference; this is seen by Joppke (2009) very
controversial. Furthermore, the idea of family pressure
which means that schoolgirls and college students are
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obliged by their parents to wear the veil if they want to
pursue their education or to participate in school
activities like trips. Lister (2007) claims that in
France most of the younger girls are veiled not as a
personal choice rather than oppression. However, Gereluk
(2008) comes up with different views in her research on
the veil concerning Muslim girls in London who opposed
the idea of parent’s oppression by mentioning that it is
a parental guidance. In addition to that, the meaning to
wear the veil is worn as a symbol of independent and
affirmation of their identity. It is said that it is part
of their background, it represents who are they and to
which religion they belong to. The fact of choosing the
veil is not their parents or husbands choice, but they
see themselves modern, free to dress on the way they
prefer to as well as to practice their rituals since they
are living in democratic countries which allow them the
right for that. The fourth and the last point the
researchers discussed is wearing the scarf as an
interpretation of women religion faith. It has been noted
some women start to wear it as a kind of sympathy with
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the ones who are affected by the ban as well as sincerity
to the Islamic religion. However, the veil in most of the
western debates is discussed to be an alien and far away
from the western culture and also it is seen as a maker
of terrorism, fundamentalism, and menace for the
humanity worldwide (Howard, 2012).
It is stated that nobody can deny the fact that the ban
of the Niqab in public places created only separation and
hatred among French Citizens. According to an interview
made by New York Times with a woman who claims that she
used to get strange looks when on street, but now they
receive insults and verbal abuses. Moreover, anonymous
people tried many times to remove their veils in public,
shop owners stopped them in the entrance. Kenza Drider a
French citizen who was arrested because of her Niqab is
considered to be one of the representatives of Niqabi
people in France and also appeared in many international
programs. She stated that she was arrested in the police
station for three hours and half, at the end they told
her that you can go home after she was checked by a
female officer trying to convince Kenza to wear her
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Islamic veil at home not in public places. She also
stated that in spite of getting insults from ordinary
people several times a day, she is able to do her daily
activities like collecting her kids from school, doing
shopping. However, once upon a day she felt hurt when
someone told her in street you will be killed as it
happened to the Jews before. As a result of this, she
claims that what is happening now to us was the same for
the Jews who were identified and singled out when they
were outside (Chrisafis, 2013). The law they implemented
lately gives the right to no one to interfere except for
the police officers who can face the veiled women, but
they can not pull off their veils. The case should be
sent to the judge of the city to decide what kind of
punishment the veiled woman should receive either 150
euro, or some courses of citizenship to learn how to
adapt to the French values of life. The minister of
Interior says that less than 100 women who were stopped
by the police, luckily there was no fine or any courses
so far. One of the deputy local police chiefs explains
the complexity of the law and the difficulties they might
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face once they encounter a certain case because they do
not have a complete authority over women to force them to
remove the veil. Adding also that they will not pay
attention and ignore veiled women where things can get
worse especially in areas and places where immigrants are
living because there might be severe riots and violent
confrontation as a feedback of their anger. (Chew, 2011).
The reason why the ex-French president and his supporters
agreed to legalise the law is to denigrate the image of
Islam as a threat to France as well as to gain more votes
in the election from groups who are against the
immigrants in general and Muslims in particular. Hence,
Muslims responded in one of the protests that the
president is targeting them because they are representing
a minority in comparison of other group of immigrants.
Another story of a French woman, who grew up and raised
in Paris narrating her story after the ban of the veil.
Her parents are from Morocco, but they are not serious in
practising the religion; she chose the Niqab as a
personal choice more than five years. Ahmas, 32 year-old
said that whenever she decides to go outdoors as she is
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going to hell. One day, she was insulted as a bitch and
hit in front of her child. In the past, she used to work
in a call centre as part of her education, but after the
ban they did not renew her contract because of her veil.
Life becomes very hard for her especially when she got
refusal from companies she was applying to for work
(Chrisafis, 2011).
Having been discussed some of the major points
concerning the ban of the veil in some of the western
countries in general and in France in particular as the
picture above is portraying a veiled woman holding her
French passport as an identity. The background given has
shown and helped us to know that the issue of the ban of
religious symbols is not a new topic of debates in France
as it was mentioned earlier. The law of 2011 which was
endorsed by Nicolas Sarkozy had a purpose to receive much
votes in the presidential election, but it was not
accepted by the Muslim community who were showing their
outrageous actions in streets. For me, as a Muslim
citizen, to give my point of view about the issue is
somehow difficult. However, according to our Islamic
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religion, the headscarf is mandatory for a woman to wear
in public places as well as when she is surrounded by
people who are not part of the family, and the Niqab
(Face veil) is just an effort from the wearer. I think
that people who are wearing the Niqab especially in
western cultures should be very flexible and abide by the
rules of the country they are living in order to show for
others a positive image on Muslims and also about Islam
as a religion which is calling for love and peace.
References:Ajrouch, Kristine (2007) ‘Global Contexts and the Veil: Muslim Integration in theUnited States and France’. Sociology of Religion 68(3): 321–5.
BBC (2010) ‘senate votes to ban Islamic full veil in public’. [Online] Available from<http:// bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11305033?print¼true>[13 December 2013].
Bignell, J. (1997) Media Semiotics: an introduction. Manchester university press: Manchester.
Chew, K. (2011) ‘Bans Niqab, Violence against Muslim Women Rises’. [Online] Available from < http://www.care2.com/causes/france-bans-niqab-violence-against-muslim-women-rise.html> [25 December 2013].
Chrisafis, A. (2013) ‘France's headscarf war: 'It's an attack on freedom'. The Guardian 22 July.
Chrisafis, A. (2011) ‘France Burqa ban: Women are effectively under house arrest’. The Guardian. [Online] Available from <
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http:// theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/19/battle-for-the-burqa > [22 December 2013].
Dabbous-Sensenig, D. (2006) ‘To Veil or not to Veil: Gender and Religion on Al-Jazeera’s Islamic Law and Life’.Westminster Journal of Communication and Culture 3(2) 60-85.
Designcontest (2013) Colour and culture: Design for an International Audience [online] Available from http:// http://www.designcontest.com/blog/color-and-culture-design-for-an-international-audience/ [20 December 2013]Gereluk, D. (2008) Symbolic Clothing in Schools: What Should Be Worn and Why. London: Continuum.
Howard, E. (2012) ‘Banning Islamic veils: Is gender equality a valid argument?’. International Journal of Discriminationand the Law 12(3) 147-165.
Johnson, R. (2013) ‘An examination of police Department Uniform Colour and Police-Citizen Aggression’. Journal of criminal justice and behaviour 40 (2), 228-244.
Joppke, C. (2009) Veil: Mirror of Identity. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Killian, Caitlin (2003) ‘The Other Side of the Veil: North African Women in France Respond to the Headscarf Affair’. Gender & Society 17(4): 567–90.
Killian, Caitlin (2007) ‘From a Community of Believers toan Islam of the Heart: Conspicuous Symbols, Muslim Practices, and the Privatization of Religion in France’. Sociology of Religion 68(3): 305–20.
Leiken, S. (2005) ‘Europe’s Angry Muslims’, Foreign Affairs 84(4): 120–35.
Lister, R., Williams, F., Anttonen, A., et al. (2007) Gendered Citizenship in Western Europe: New Challenges for Citizenship Research in a Cross-National Context. Bristol: Policy Press.
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McKee, A. (2003) Textual Analysis: A beginner’s guide. Sage publication: London.
Nicole, R. (2012). ‘The French Niqab, One year on’. Patheos Journal.
Shirazi, F., Mishra, S. (2010) ‘Young Muslim women on theface veil (Niqab): A tool of resistance in Europe but rejected in the United States’. International Journal of Cultural Studies 13(1), 43-62.
The Guardian (2010) ‘French parliament approves ban on face veils’. [Online] Available from < http:// guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/13/french-ban-face-veils> [13 December 2013].
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