Sarkozy Challenges the Burqa

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, is reported to have said that the burqa, a garment worn by many Muslim women, has no place in France as it was a sign of the subjugation of women. The burqa is a garment that covers women from head to toe and hides their faces. During a speech to a joint session of both houses of parliament on Monday, held at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, Sarkozy said "The issue of the burqa is not a religious issue, it is a question of freedom and of women's dignity, the burqa is not a religious sign, it is a sign of the subjugation, of the submission of women. I want to say solemnly that it will not be welcome on our territory."
On this issue, President Sarkozy is treading on dangerous ground. I am not sure that he understands all the issues in play here. I also have my doubts whether political leaders should venture onto such ground. In their landmark book, "Who Speaks for Islam", John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed speak about the silenced majority of Muslims. One of the concepts that they draw out is that the majority of Muslim women want to wear the burqa and do not feel discriminated against while wearing it. This flies in the face of current western wisdom and against President Sarkozy's comments.
Esposito also stated in his book "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" is that veiling is associated with Islam because of a verse from the Quran which states: "Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty. Modesty is also prescribed for men!
Esposito goes on to say that veiling did not become widespread in Islam until three or four generations after the death of Muhammad. It was originally a sign of honor. "Women who wear the headscarf complain, that instead of asking THEM what the burqa means to them , they assume that women are being oppressed. This assumption oppresses women more that the headdress ever could." Muslim women often talk about what the burqa symbolizes: "religious devotion, discipline, reflection, respect, freedom, modernity. But too often nobody asks them what the scarf means to them."
We in the west, in general, have no idea about Muslim customs, nor the feelings of this extremely religious people. We assume too much and know too little. I personally would not want my wife to wear a burqa, but she is not of their faith. Equally, Muslim women should be able to choose for themselves, and if Esposito is to be believed, a majority of them would decide to wear it! With his negative statement, Sarkozy is deciding for all France ahead of any debate, not welcoming any discussion and deciding a course from that debate.