Headscarf Affair: France's Secularism, Islam, and Analysis

This report delves into the controversial issue of religious expression in France, specifically focusing on the headscarf affair and the 2016 burkini ban. The paper examines the clash between French secularism (laïcité) and freedom of religious expression, tracing the issue back to 1989 when Muslim female students were suspended for wearing headscarves. It utilizes the Riva Kastoryano article “French Secularism and Islam: France’s Headscarf Affair” for analysis and provides insights from the perspectives of a female Muslim from Egypt and a secularist American woman. The report aims to offer clarity on this contentious issue within the broader context of diversity and inclusion, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved.

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 (SOURCE). 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.”. 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 secularist female American. 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.
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