BY EMILY WALKER
France is being accused of hypocrisy and Islamophobia, following proposed restrictions on head coverings in the country.
If successful, the bill will outlaw under 18-year-olds and mothers accompanying children on school trips from wearing the hijab in public.
The ban, which is currently awaiting to be approved by the lower house before becoming law, follows a string of restrictions placed on Islamic clothing across Europe.
Last month, Switzerland voted to ban face coverings in public places and, in 2011, France banned the full-face veil.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, both Switzerland and France made face masks mandatory in public spaces.
The irony was not lost on Monash student and member of the Monash University Islamic Society, Hafsah Brown.
“You can wear a face mask anywhere but you can’t wear literally just [a veil] which is the same thing essentially,” Ms Brown said.
“That sort of drove home the inherent Islamophobia within that decision.”
In France, there are a series of laws to uphold secularism in public affairs, also known as laïcité.
However, authorities have made exceptions for other religious clothing such as nun’s habits when implementing such laws.
“Even though it’s put out to be a religious versus secular thing that example, in particular, pointed out to me that it’s really just Islamophobic or xenophobic,” Ms Brown said.
While the Swiss referendum that banned face veils earlier this year did not directly mention Islam, campaigns in favour of the vote depicted women in niqabs with phrases such as "Stop extremism".
Dr Renae Barker, a senior lecturer who specialises in the interaction between law and religion at the University of Western Australia, said there were two types of risks associated with the Islamic veil: actual and symbolic.
“The real question is not whether that clothing poses a risk in theory but whether in the particular circumstances of that country, the level of crime or risk of terrorist attack justify restrictions on what people wear,” Dr Barker said.
Dr Barker said the Islamic face veil is a symbol of a religion people in the west don’t find acceptable and they want to remove it.
“[But] the link between the Islamic face veil and violent extremism is not that strong,” she said.
Dr Barker agreed that similar conversations and legal actions could take place in Australia.
“As more and more countries introduce [these laws], others are growing bolder in following suit.”
Ms Brown is less concerned about the possibility of a hijab ban in Australia.
“I think it could put the idea in people’s heads but I don’t think it would ever pass into legislation just because we have a different set up in Australia. I think it’s a lot more welcoming.”
