The Second French Revolution: 2011

"Say you wanna revolution?
Well, you know,
We all wanna change the world"
- The Beatles


By Cristina Rizzuto


You’re enjoying a café au lait and mouth-watering loaf of fougasse on the patio of the popular Pain d’Epis bakery in Paris.  The Eiffel Tower slices through the gloomy sky above you, a stark, black, linear cloud.  Tourists snap pictures on Avenue Bosquet, walking by the elderly man selling authentic paintings, a smile on his face, sadness in his eyes.  Nearby, fellow slackers are ordering baguettes and engaging in typical lazy-afternoon-patio discussions—women, fashion, politics, sport.  It’s a still frame from a French film, a mis-en-scène of Parisian life.  Suddenly, a woman enters the ambiance, a veil enshrouding her face, only her eyes visible.  The crowd’s jovial conversation descends to an inaudible whisper, as she walks, with trepidation, past your patio.  In this moment, there is a startling, disquieting cultural collision, both parties uncomfortable and alarmed. 

 This is the reality of today’s France.  A battle for the perpetuation of French culture and the retention of individual rights begins, as Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, enforces the "Forbidding the Dissimulation of the Face in the Public Space" ban on April 11, 2011.  A revolution is stirring in France, though many wonder if it will be a resolution (specifically, supporters of Amnesty International, who urged France not to impose the ban). 

The Pew Global Attitudes Project, in a survey conducted last year, found that French citizens supported the ban by a startling margin of more than four to one – clearly, it is a law with which the French are in accordance.  France’s government ensures that the ban is aligned with the constitutional rights of individuals, as it is not an attack on the Islam religion: it is a referendum on the values and mores of French culture. 

The ban pertains to the burqa, a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face, and the niqab, a full-face veil that leaves an opening only for the eyes.  The hijab, which covers the hair and neck but not the face, and the chador, which covers the body but not the face, are not banned by the law.  The government has cited security reasons for not wanting a person’s identity to be concealed, as well as an infringement on women’s rights, calling enforcement of the burqa, “a form of enslavement that the government cannot accept on its soil”.

The government of France is not limiting religious freedom, nor is it isolating a minority group; rather, the ban will be a milestone in France’s progression towards social unity.  The burqa is not a religious requirement—the laws of Islam do not state that a woman must conceal her face, only that she must dress modestly.  Michele Alliot-Marie, France’s justice minister, said, “The full face veil dissolves the identity of a person in that community.  It challenges the French model of integration based on the acceptance of the values of our society.”

 Alliot-Marie said the ban had “nothing to do with religion”, as it reaffirmed the French values of equality and dignity of all individuals, regardless of sex or status; it would prevent women from becoming faceless members of society. 

Why is it that, for Western or Europeans traveling to a country like India, for example, where Islam is the second-most practiced religion, we must take extra precaution to assimilate, yet there is civil unrest at the prospect of living in France and having to conform to French culture?  On the website of an Indian travel agency (called, appropriately, India Travel Agents), they set out some basic rules for women traveling to India:

“Even after the modern influence of western countries, India still remains a conservative country. Some western habits are perceived as inappropriate and degrading if practiced by women here. Here are some travel tips for women in India:

• Don't wear revealing clothes while in India. They do not appeal to Indian sensibilities. You will attract unwanted attraction and advances if you are wearing skimpy outfits.
• Even at beaches, the people here are fully clothed.
• Avoid talking in a friendly manner with men you meet in buses, trains, restaurants, shopping places, etc. It may be viewed as a flirtation and lead to unwanted and unexpected sexual advances.
• A way to get more respect from Indians is to wear traditional Indian clothes”

           If travelers must respect the cultural guidelines of the country in which they choose to visit or live, such as India, those who choose to visit or live in France should respectfully do the same.  The travel website refers to some Western habits as “inappropriate” and “degrading”, yet we do not protest their values upon entering their country.  The French government also has a right to perceive the habit of covering a woman’s face as “inappropriate” and “degrading”, and implement laws to protect French culture.

France is a beacon of freedom and hope for many individuals; it is an asylum for immigrants, as it takes numerous measures to ensure acceptance and foster integration, such as offering free French language classes and employment assistance programs.  France’s latest law is being attacked, but its government is not wrong.  Will this be a resolution in the ways cultures receive one another, a stepping-stone towards social unity and acceptance? I hope so.
Get ready for a revolution.