Analysis of Laïcité, Islam, and Gender in French Society

This essay critically analyzes the contentious relationship between Laïcité and Islam in France, particularly focusing on the headscarf and burkini debates. It examines the clash between French secular ideals and the religious expression of the Muslim population, drawing on Riva Kastoryano's article "French Secularism and Islam: France’s Headscarf Affair." The paper explores the historical context of Laïcité and its evolution in the face of increasing migration and a growing Muslim population. It highlights the inconsistencies in applying secular principles and the gendered dimensions of the debate. The essay also offers individual perspectives from a Muslim female from Egypt and a non-religious American female, reflecting on the implications for diversity and inclusion within French society. The analysis underscores how the headscarf issue is not solely a matter of political sovereignty and religion but has significant implications for gender equality and the marginalization of the Muslim population.

The Intersection of Laïcité and Islam:
Exploring the Relationship between Political Secularism, Religion and Gender
Critical Approaches to Diversity Class
The controversial issue of religious expression in the country of France is not a new
issue, especially in regards to headscarves worn by Muslim women. The clash of French political
ideals of laïcité and freedom of religious expression is a battle that has been ongoing since 1989.
In 1989 three Muslim female students were suspended from their school in the French town of
Creil for refusing to remove their headscarves in school. This issue has caught the attention of
global news this past summer of 2016 when the French government banned women from
wearing the ‘burkini’ (swimwear designed for Muslim modesty standards) on public beaches
(Bilefsky, 2016). This issue intersects across lines of religion, political agenda’s and gender in a
unique way.
This paper will critically analysis this issue through the use of the Riva Kastoryano article
“French Secularism and Islam: France’s Headscarf Affair.” (2006). Finally the authors of this
paper will analyze and reflect upon this issue based on their individual perspectives as a female
Muslim from Egypt and a female American secularist. It is through this analysis and reflection
that this paper aims to provide clarity on lessons learned from this contentious issue in France in
a wider framework of diversity and inclusion.

The French Republic’s policy of laïcité has met an opponent in Islam. This is due to the
fact that Islam is a religious minority in France that requires public expression, mainly
headscarves for females (Kastoryano, 2006). According to French political thinking the nation is
built on principles of nationalism and a political identity rather than ethnic or religious identity.
This ideology was first presented by a lecture by Ernest Renan in 1882 and has recently made a
resurgence in political rhetoric. This increase in French nationalism is seen as a direct effect of
increased migration from North Africa to France; migrants that are largely a Muslim population.
The French separation of religion and state has become increasingly contentious with the
growing French Muslim population (Kastoryano, 2006). In 2003 Islam gained recognition as a
religious institution through the establishment of the Conseil Français Du Culte Musulman
(CFCM). This recognition was an important step for Islam in terms of equality in France, joining
other state recognized religions such as Catholicism and Judaism. This integration of Islam as an
institution is an important step towards equity for French Muslims however, there are still major
issues regarding how individual religious expression can exist in a laïcité state. The modern
reality of ever increasing multicultural societies demands that the French ideal of strict
secularism be evaluated for relevancy and usefulness.
This is an intriguing issue from my perspective as a non-religious American female. On
one hand I can understand the ideal of nationalism that transcends boundaries of ethnicity and

religion. The separation of religion and state is an important aspect of a successful government in
my perspective. However, when hard lines are drawn such as in this example of France the
examples of hypocrisy or inconsistency become more clear. While Muslim women are refused
the right to wear their headscarves are Catholics refused the right to wear religious icons such as
crosses or rosary beads? The Catholic liturgical calendar is followed in most schools in France as
well as celebration of religious holidays such as Mardi Gras and Easter (Erlanger & Freytas-
Tamura, 2015). Due to these inconsistencies in French secularism the actions against headscarf
wearing women appear to me as actions of discrimination against the religion of Islam. This
discrimination serves as a tool to marginalize and disenfranchise the Muslim population of
France.
The issue of the headscarf is not only a question of political sovereignty and religion. It
has an important gender component that needs to be addressed. While there has been some talk
in France of banning beards as a religious symbol (NBC, 2004) this has largely been ridiculed
and rejected.

References
Bilefsky, D. (2016, August 31). France’s Burkini Debate Reverberates Around the World ...
Retrieved October 24, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/01/world/europe/burkini-
france-us-germany-africa.html
Kastoryano, R. (2006). Multiculturalism, Muslims and Citizenship: A European Approach.
French Secularism and Islam: France’s Headscarf Affair. p 57-70. New York, New York:
Routledge
Erlanger, S., & Freytas-Tamura, K. (2015, February 5). Old Tradition of Secularism Clashes
With France’s New ... Retrieved October 25, 2016, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/world/old-tradition-of-secularism-clashes-with-frances-
new-reality.html