The session has started so please join our guest Makhlouf Mameche on the issue of the impact of the banning of the hijab in France.
Answer
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Name
Dr younus
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Profession
Question
As salamu alaykum,
I think the basic message of veil is not to attract men. but what do you say to women who make their veil attractive by accessories? What type of veil should one wear?
Answer
Dear Doctor Younus,
I am not allowed to judge the others'intentions. You may ask your question to a sheikh. I am here to defend the liberty of conciousness : to wear or not to wear the veil is the girls'problem.
Name
Wafaa
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Profession
teacher
Question
As-salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi barakatuh.
With all the talk about what is happening to our young Muslim sisters in France, we still have little knowledge of what their day-to-day reality I like. For instance, outside of school, is their public life limited?
Answer
In the name of God, the Merciful, the all Merciful
As-salamu alaykum dear Wafaa
The muslim community is living in an atmosphere of anguish due to this law that forbids muslim girls to wear the veil in public schools but there are some misbehaviours : for instance, not only the girls but the girls'mothers are asked to take off their veils or in other public building in banks for example and above all at work.
Name
Fuad
- United Kingdom
Profession
Student
Question
Salam.
My heart goes out to everyone in France. I hope good sense prevails eventually.
Has this issue brought the Muslim communities closer together?
Has this politicized young sisters at too young an age?
Has the female Muslim leadership suprised anyone?
In your judgement:
Is the hijab issue(sorry I'm a brother) the highest priority issue for Muslims in France, or is it one of those annoying injustices that just has to be stood against?
Answer
Dear Fuad,
The majority of the Muslim community is afraid of the bad consequences of this law. Generally speaking, all the communities respect the laws of the French Republic and are part of the French social landscape.
The age for the girls to wear their hijab is well defined in our religion. We support those who choose to wear it by free choice and conviction and we respect those who don't wear it. We live in a society that makes brothers vulnerable.
Brotherhood, freedom and equality and we want theses rules to apply for all.
We cannot talk about the hijab as a priority but it is a right. The priorities of the French Muslim community are : education, the imams' (community) teaching, being represented (CFCM)...
Name
nura
- Germany
Profession
doctor
Question
As-salamu alaykum,
Congratulations to your project and may Allah bless it.
I find it great to have a high school where French Muslim girls are free to wear the hijab, but don´t you see it as a kind of seclusion?
I came to Islam through some school friends who wear hijab and I made da`wa (invitation) with their good example. Without these girls in our schools the non-Muslims have little chance to know anything more about Islam which could reduce the level of prejudice.
Thank you,
Salam.
Answer
As-Salamu alaykum dear Nura
Thank you for your congratulations and your support.
The French Muslim community are working in all fields : education, social life, politics ...
School is a necessary tool for education and education is a means of integration into French society. That's why our project takes part in the perspective of showing a new vision of Muslims in France. Our high school is open to everybody, Muslim, Jews and Christians with or without religious signs. It's a place of exchangings opinions and views and a place that opens to the others like the great philosopher, Averroes.
Name
fauzia
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Profession
Question
Can designers come up with something similar to a veil?
Can someone start working on it by keeping in mind the main intention of wearing the veil?
Answer
Dear Fauzia,
We want our sisters to wear the hijab that adapts itself to the French society and the French context as long as they respect the main intention of wearing the hijab.
I don't think that there are French designers who are ready to work on this issue. We must innovate not only in the field of fashion and clothing but in the field of food, culture etc...
Name
H
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Profession
Question
What is day to day life like for typical Muslim school girl in your community?
Answer
Dear H,
It looks like the day to day life of any school girl. As far as our project is concerned, our pupils are on holiday. Let me tell you that our school is a mixed school opened to both boys and girls. During school time, they start school at 8am and finish at 5:30 or 6 pm. They go to different classes of different subjects (history, geography, maths, PE, French, Arabic language, Muslim religion and civilization were added to the educative programme). Our pupils get holidays as well as the others pupils in the French educational system.
Name
Layla
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
As-salamu alaykum brother.
What mechanisms has the French Muslim community set up to defend their rights since the ban on the hijab?
Answer
Dear Layla,
One of the solutions to this issue of the banning of the hijab is the creation of private Muslim schools, as other religious communities have created them, like the Christian or Jewish communities.
We contacted headmasters of private schools especially Catholics that are not concerned about the hijab, hoping they would show willingness to take our children since the law only deals with public schools, but they refused to let them enter their schools. Some young girls prefer to have long distance education , others withdraw themselves from the educative system entirely.
We must still fight to defend ourselves and claim our rights as Muslims with our specifics. We can call for justice and go on trial as many times as it is needed.
Name
Aisha
- Kenya
Profession
Question
As-salamu alaykum,
May I extend my congratulations on the work you are doing and may Allah bless you and strengthen you. I just wish to comment as follows:
Hijab as a law from Allah which most muhajabas (wearers of hijab) take up as a choice will continue to "intrigue" and mesmerize non-Muslims who will never truly understand the serenity and success gained from the putting on of the veil, from accepting the simplicity of obeying Allah and living "freely" in the hijab!!
Answer
Dear Aisha,
Thanks for your support and reflections, but I don't want to go into the debate opposing the laws of God and the laws of the republic. We are living in a non- religious secular republic that does not recognize any religion as a political power. We must be very careful on that point.
Name
Jamila
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Profession
Question
Greetings to you Dr. Mameche.
I would just likt to ask, what advice would you give to a young girl, to one of your school students, on a) How to dress in public and b) How to present oneself to a non-Muslim because surely the girls cannot be expected to live isolation.
Answer
Dear Jamila,
I first tell my pupils that they are French of Muslim confession. We have the same rights and the same obligations as the others. We want to live and spread an Islam that respects the specificity of the French society. So, I will advise her:
a) Not to shock the others in the way she speaks or in the way she is dressed ( she should wear a discreet hijab) because every society is different from the others. For example, the hijab worn in Afghanistan is different from the one in Africa or Iran.
b) She should present herself as a fully right citizen and claim her citizenship before claiming her culture or origins.
Name
Wade
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Profession
Question
As a Social Worker, I find that any breakdwon culturally speaking causes a breakdown socially speaking. Can you see this ahppening within your community with the scarf gone....?
Answer
Dear Wade,
Indeed, We are working to integrate our community into the French society and not to assimilate our community, a community which as a right like any community to keep and maintain freely their culture and develop it.
we want to reach a peaceful marriage between our identity and citizenship to give birth to a new French society that will grow richer in cultural and social terms. The Muslim community is asked to innovate in different fields and not to stick to their history. We must create this mood.
