Editorial: Burqa ban unfounded

The Jakarta Post   |  Fri, 07/03/2009 9:50 AM  |  Opinion

The financial crisis in wealthy countries has not only caused right-wing and center- right parties in Europe to retreat from advocating market radicalism, but has also returned faith to the center of European politics.

Jan-Werner Mueller from the Project Syndicate Institute made this observation in this paper Wednesday, noting that the trend has distanced Europe from America where religion played virtually no role in its recent presidential election.  

As it stands, Europe is moving closer to Indonesia where religion has always been exploited for political purposes, including the ongoing presidential election. There is no shortage of politicians in this country who are willing to play with fire, unmindful of the high social costs of their behavior.  

From France to Britain, religion has found its way into politics, which Mueller believes results from the dilemma facing right-wing and center-right parties trying to appear more modern on the one hand, while on the other hand painting themselves as sworn enemies of the left’s supposed moral relativism.

For Indonesians, who have endured conflicts as a result of mixing religion with politics, what is going on in Europe is a cause for concern.  

A case in point is French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s criticism of the burqa, a head-to-toe Islamic garment worn by women, in his speech at parliament on June 22.  

The criticism was made following a call for a parliamentary inquiry into the wearing of the burqa.
This has refreshed memories of France’s ban on the Muslim headscarf and religious symbols of all faiths in state schools and other public buildings in 2004.  

In the past, Sarkozy has repeatedly said that France needed to rethink its traditional strict separation of state and religion, called laicite.

Sarkozy said that the garment was not welcomed in France as women became “prisoners behind netting, cut off from social life, deprived of identity”.  

The burqa, he said, was not a sign of religion but of subservience. But he stressed that France “must not fight the wrong battle” saying that “the Muslim religion must be respected as much as other religions”.

This is in contrast to what US President Barack Obama said recently in Cairo,  “It is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit, for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear”.  

Support to ban the burqa in France has come from many quarters including prominent Muslim, Fadela Asmara, the cities minister, who said that the burqa was “a coffin that kills fundamental liberties”, and a sign of the “political exploitation of Islam”.

Mohammed Moussaoui, the president of France’s Representative Muslim Council, said he agreed with Sarkozy’s position on burqas, calling them “an extremely marginal phenomenon”.

The criticism will likely receive support from the parliament that has set up a working group to study a possible ban of burqas.

From a country with an enormous mix of ethnic and religious groups, we think the French government has gone too far. A government has the power to do what it sees fit, but it has limitations on controlling what its citizens want to wear particularly, when it applies across the board, which is unlike the 2004 ban on the headscarf.

The laicite is a wonderful concept, albeit it was won by blood and great suffering. The French government needs to be more prudent in dealing with the question of burqa.

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Etienne (not verified) — Thu, 07/09/2009 - 9:15am

France, as many other western countries, has been fighting to promote the equality between men and women, and a certain idea of individual freedom. In France, swimming pool are mixte (open for both sex at the same time), women can drive, can open a bank account and work, and have the same rights as the men...
Women have fight during the past, went to jail, face the police and even died to promote those rights. The place of woman in Europe is part of the european culture. Burka is not part of it.
Without judging what should be done with Burka in Europe ( I got my own opinion that you can easily guess), we can consider that European culture should be respected as a culture among others. European countries make already a lot of effort to live in peace with other cultures. There is no many countries like France where more than 15 different nationalities can be found in an average classroom in school, where schools adapt lunch to muslim habits, where immigrant (even illegal) from all the world can have free medical treatment etc...What about an effort from the immigrants to respect some part of the fundament of their new country ? Culture is not a question of logic : Burka is considered as regression and offendant by many European. We can always find explanation in the history etc...the fact is that in France, cars drive on the right side and every driver, even immigrant, drive on the right side without any comment. This is adaptation. So, what should be done with Burka ?

Antonio Andre (not verified) — Wed, 07/08/2009 - 11:48pm

To Europeans, the burqa represents everything European culture stand against for ages. It is ironic and sad that so does Sarkozy's proposal. Either way extremists 'll have their way up to a point. Let us not equate burqa and Islam, though. Indonesia is the liveliest and loveliest example of how Islam intertwins modernity, tolerance and common sense. As is Turkey. Let us cheer up to that!

David T (not verified) — Mon, 07/06/2009 - 7:52pm

With respect, your editorial is wrong.

The burqa is an inflammatory political and social statement. It says, of the woman, "I am not a human being, a part of this society with equal rights, but a piece of PROPERTY. Keep out!"

I am generally as tolerant as they come, and as a non-Muslim living in Australia, I have no problem at all with the Indonesian jilbab and other forms of scarf or head-dress which allow the face to be seen.

In Australia and most other civilized countries it is not acceptable for a man to walk about in (say) banks or shopping centres in a balaclava - a head and neck covering that exposes only the eyes and perhaps the mouth. That is seen as provocative and dangerous: what a bandit might wear to avoid being recognized. If you're not a polar explorer or hiker in extremely cold conditions, don't wear a balaclava.

The burqa is deeply offensive to many Westerners. It spits in the face of hundreds of years of progress in human rights. It is much more than the statement "I am a Muslim". It absolutely rejects the whole basis of civilized interpersonal relationships in a Western democratic society.

If Muslims want to wear the burqa, then let them wear it in some benighted Islamic hellhole where they can inflict the degradation, inequality and "property" status - slavery - upon women. But not in the West. Not in Australia or western Europe. It is a gratuitous insult to the host culture and is absolutely not acceptable. Such people should be excluded from immigration into Western countries - that is, into the civilized world.

Philemone (not verified) — Mon, 07/06/2009 - 3:50am

I see a parallel between the ban of the Burqa in France and the ban of bikini on the beaches in Indonesia...
If the so called anti-pornography law has any legitimacy... then so the anti-burqa law
It is always easier to critisize the attitude of the others than to look at our own attitude...

T. Cotton, Pattaya, Thailand (not verified) — Fri, 07/03/2009 - 6:54pm

In my view the Post's editorial would have greater partiality if it would simultaneously criticise Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, which impose the wearing of the "abaya", (the black cloak which covers women (only) from neck to toe, with hair covered as well), regardless of their religion. There is a tendency amongst countries with severe sexual attitudes to believe that they have the moral high ground in imposing conservative dress standards on women. I personally am offended by seeing women covered up in this way, since I consider it affected and unnatural. The French certainly have as much right to legislate the dress of women as do Arab countries.

John Ralph (not verified) — Fri, 07/03/2009 - 4:18pm

God does not judge people by their uniform.
There is nothing in the Koran that even remotely suggests the burqa is a requirement of faith.
In fact all it says is that women should veil their neck.
So what has gone wrong.
There is plenty of debate that Islam has lost its way in the world and one can only blame so called Islamic scholars for corrupting the word of the Prophet and debasing women, something that is an offense if you understand the Prophet.
Unfortunately most Indonesians have never read the Koran or understand why it exists.
Most of so called Islam today has little to do with the original intent of the Koran.
You were born with no clothes and so it shall be that you shall return to your maker the same way you came into this world.
As the Koran says "dont you understand"

Helena van der Winden (not verified) — Fri, 07/03/2009 - 3:38pm

I wonder whether the editors still remember the Indonesian phrase: "Dimana bumi dipijak, disitu langit dijunjung"?

When I go to some Arab countries, I cover up. When I go to conservative places like Aceh or even Padang, I wear head scarf. Don't just judge the decision of the French government from your point of view, but try to place yourself in their shoes as well.

I believe that Moslem scholars have responsibilities to study the link between social norms in some countries with Burqa. Put the religion aside for a while.

I remember that in those countries (Arab countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan), men just cannot stop staring at women even if they are relatively modest. In those countries, some men even dare to do much further. Once I was in a market with my husband, wearing head scarf and long loose dress, suddenly a group of young men started to shout at me "strip and naked now". From North Africa to UAE, from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan, looking at women as unworthy objects is a common social norm.

I believe that it has something to do with social norms, more than it has something to do with Islam. The reason is because I haven't experienced the same problem in relatively moderate Moslem countries, like Turkey, Malaysia and even Indonesia (where I have lived for years, and where I deals with Moslem men on daily basis).

Another Indonesian phrase that you need to remember is: "Mata dan wajah itu jendela hati". Imagine if you are someone who have to conduct daily business or other professional activities with someone who wear burqa. Isn't it offensive not being able to see the expression of someone who you deal with?

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