In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner! Thank you for your question and the confidence you place in our service. We pray to Allah to enable us render this service purely for His Sake.
It is really hard that we hear that Muslims are thinking of emigrating from France to find a place where they can freely practice the teachings of their religion. What makes the wound greater is that this happens in a country that advocates freedom and supports human rights.
The attack on hijab is just a beginning, and if the attackers of hijab succeed in this mission, they will continue further on the same track. If French Muslims immigrate to another Western country, what guarantee do they have that that country will not turn around and also ban hijab? Muslims should stay and demand their rights until their demands are met. Here, we recall the words of an Arab poet that act as a beacon for every believer in the darkness of every tribulation:
By God, I will never be vanquished!
Nor will I dance to my captor's tune.
My heart is at ease, I am not distressed,
And my cause will gain very soon.
I am supported by Allah, I am surely blessed,
And after darkness, it's a new moon.
The prominent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Hulail, imam of Tariq ibn Ziad Mosque in Frankfort, Germany, states:
"In my point of view, emigrating from France under such circumstances is a kind of escape. We always advise the Muslims who reside in the Western countries to mingle with the Western communities, but while taking into consideration that they are obligated to follow the teachings of Islam.
Escaping is not the right solution to follow; rather, Muslims in France are to face the pressures they encounter with patience and perseverance. Should every Muslim woman who can emigrate from France do so, what would the rest of the Muslim women who are compelled to stay there because of their work duties or their children’s education system do?
However, this may be suitable in some individual cases. This is to say, if there is no alternative before a Muslim woman but to leave the country rather than face such a problem, she can do so, but it should be borne in mind that this is exceptional, and it should not be a general approach for Muslims in France. Rather, Muslims there are to unite and be steadfast in their opposition until they find a way out.
Muslims are also to bear in mind that banning hijab is just the beginning, and should the West succeed in that, they would seek more in the same manner. They may even stand against the activities of Islamic centers in Europe or prevent the Muslims there from practicing other rituals of their religion. Therefore, I stress that Muslims are to encounter the issue with steadfastness and perseverance until Allah Almighty finds them a way out, Allah willing."
Focusing more on this issue, the prominent Muslim scholar Dr. Jamal Badawi, professor at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and member of the Fiqh Council of North America, also states:
"I would not recommend emigration as a collective strategy for Muslims in France. I would not rule out some specific individual situations where this might be suitable. Muslims who think of doing so are just escaping their responsibilities.
First, a Muslim would have to think also of his fellow Muslims who are to remain in France. It is inconvincible to think that 5 million French or resident Muslims are supposed to emigrate. Where would such a large number go? This is a very broad issue. A Muslim should stick with his brothers and sisters and strive together with them to correct the situation and remove the injustice that is being done to them.
Second, I believe that the attitude of Muslims should not be limited to trying to secure themselves or defend their freedom. Islam is a mercy to all the worlds. This kind of infringement on personal liberty is a matter that should be of concern to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. So, Muslims in France are to bear in mind that their struggle is actually a struggle for a cause that is beyond an Islamic cause; it is a broader cause that affects the rest of mankind.
Third, not only Muslims, but all decent people should stand against that oppression of and infringement on personal and religious rights. If that is the case, then, escaping actually means yielding to the negative forces in the world. This is another angle that one has to look at. This struggling via legitimate peaceful means will, Allah willing, ultimately bear fruits.
In the interim period, we may need some more patience and perseverance and make some sacrifices in terms of harassments and difficulties, but we are to keep our hope and trust in Almighty Allah."
Also, the prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
"I don't think immigrating to another country is a practical solution. It would only make it worse for us Muslims. I also think that it would be a defeatist attitude on the part of Muslims to do so.
Islam teaches us to struggle as best as we can to assert our Islamic identity. We are only allowed to emigrate once we have exhausted all the means; I don't think we have exhausted all the means.
The only viable option for Muslims in France is to remain steadfast and fight using all the available legal and constitutional means. We must never despair; Allah will surely help if we help ourselves."
Also read:
Hijab in France: Suggested Courses of Action
Tips to Face the Hijab Ban in France
