Well, I'm not going to get into France's idea of secularism [mostly because the idea of secularism is completely muddled in France, and the discussion would involve deep unraveling of general terms like "religious freedom" and "freedom to worship"]. But, I will get into the idea that the burka is a direct affront to women's rights.
Yes, some women wear the burka because their husband forces them to do so. But there are some women who wear it because they actually want to. Case in point:
A friend of mine studying abroad in Africa this summer was placed with a Pakistani immigrant family. The head of the household's wife, a very young and attractive young lady, had recently married him and arrived from Pakistan. Around the home and immediate town, she would wear "normal" clothes usually, but when she entered more traditional Muslim areas, she would don her burka. One day, Tim [my friend] suggested they all go to the beach. They were all very excited, especially the wife. Then, next thing they knew, the husband and wife engaged in an intense debate [in Urdu...Tim didn't understand it]. The end result: the husband didn't want his wife wearing the burka--he wanted her to wear normal beach-going clothes, but the wife refused to wear anything but her burka. They didn't go to the beach.Not the expected outcome, right?
Well, as I see it, whether you are demanding someone wear something or telling them they cannot wear it, you are infringing on his/her individual freedom. With the issue of the burka, I find it ridiculous that parliaments are defining what it means to be a modern woman, firstly because most of the people making these decisions are not women and secondly because it's all rather silly and illiberal rationale. The burka is not causing direct harm to anyone; in fact, it could actually be central to a woman's personal idea of femininity [such as valuing being modest and respectable in public]. Yes, the burka may be a sign of some kind of abuse or forceful relationship, but it is not at all a certain indicator of such.
I, personally, respect a woman who wants to cover herself, whether it be because she's simply more comfortable covered or out of respect for the culture and traditions in which she was raised. I even respect her for wearing the burka out of deep respect for her husband's wishes for how she present herself [of course I have a problem if she is doing so out of fear of her husband...but no one (esp. the government) will be able to tell if this is the case].
So, why do governments suddenly think they can decide that which defines the modern woman and what is truly best for her? I suppose the answer is a desire to control...but in trying to control what women are wearing, they are inevitably undermining a woman's right to define what exactly it means to her to be a woman. Of course, I am a proponent of certain things being undeniably feminine [the grace of motherhood, especially], but there is also an array of ways in which to express such understandings [whether it is by wearing a burka, an apron, a mini-dress, or an evening gown]. My hope is that such understandings of femininity will be expressed in a respectable fashion, but it is not the government's job to ban, say, muffin-tops in public...it is a matter of judgment and reason, guided by culture and traditions.
It's days like this that I'm actually grateful to live in the United States, where women can wear anything from burkas to bikinis in public [however reprehensibly tasteless the latter may be].
