Politics of the Veil: A Complex Issue

In Politics of the Veil, Janie Mossuz-Lavau argues that the veil should be banned in France because it showed that Muslim women has no sexual liberation that was her right. This is because Mossuz-Lavau viewed the veil as labeling women as sinners or whores and that she was prohibited from having sex with anyone but her husband or future husband. She concluded that this sexual liberation could only come from being taught modern ideas at school. Her research showed that women who had sexual freedom had high levels of education. She says that of the Muslim women she interviewed the ones who violated these supposed sexual norms of the veil had higher degrees. She states “these young women refused the dictate of virginity until marriage and it was no accident at all that all of them had… a higher education” (163.)

Overall, I think this argument brings up good points of conversation but ultimately oversimplifies the issue. I really don’t think that the ultimate indication of women’s equality and lack of oppression is her sexual freedom. While it may contribute to the overall conversation about women and it is one factor of gaining equality, I don’t think this is the only thing to be concerned about. I also don’t think that Mossuz-Lavau has a full understanding of why women wear the veil. While some women may be forced to wear it because of the reasons she brings up, many choose to wear it. There are many reasons that women wear a veil and her simplified argument about sexual liberation and how it labels women a sinner shows her lack of understanding of the complexities of the issue.

A poster from a protest against the veil ban

I remember a Muslim MU student talking to one of my classes about why she chooses to wear the veil. Among the many reasons, the one that stuck out to me most is that wearing the veil gives her the sense that others respect her. Instead of focusing on her physical features like her hair, the people she talks to are instead focused on her words. This along with countless other things are reasons that women wear veils. Her research about the topic seemed thinly argued seeing as she didn’t bother to ask women why they didn’t wear veils or perhaps dig into other reasons why women with veils don’t receive higher education. She completely glossed over the discrimination in France that women in veil receive which would ultimately make it harder to even get into institutions of higher education.

A Muslim woman protesting the French ban on veils

Based on this book in general, it seems as though the French don’t want to entertain the idea of the veil not for supposed feminist reasons like what Mossuz-Lavau brought up. Instead it is because there are anti-Muslim tones and overall racism towards “others” in the French culture. Mossuz-Lavau tries to argue a point that has validity but only within her limited view of Muslim culture and oversimplified perspective of why women wear headscarves.