About Islam

Prohibition of wearing Islamic religious symbol in French

The prohibition of wearing Islamic religious symbol in french is becoming contentious. Enforcement of human rights is not a new thing for a  various nations in this world. Especially religious freedom and practice that we ordered. As long as the existence of a democratic system, these values ​​have begun to be interpreted differently in state international relations. One of them is a country in the European continent, namely France, country which has a various kinds of religion for the population. In 2014, the president of the French republic Jecques Chirac announced a new regulation about the prohibition of wearing  religious symbols in public spaces. He also gave discriminatory statements about the using of burqa and hijab for Muslims. (Rafsitahandjani, 2017). The reason is that the French government wants to build a secular society in their country to maintain security, gender, tolerance and avoid radicalism that is growing in there. This decision actually gets a lot of resistance and opposition, especially from the Muslim community, because Sauri Susanto said that “French is a country where the largest Muslim population in western Europe lived (Susanto, 2014). Because of these restriction many people be aggrieved. There are some negative effect from these prohibition.

This prohibition was very costly for Muslims in France. “The French Law no. 2004-228 of 15 March 2004, concerning, through the application of the principle of laı¨cite´, the wearing of symbols or clothing demonstrating religious affiliation in state primary and secondary schools.” (Spini, 2004). Based on the law above, many people consider that it is closely as a discriminatory not as a justice in the state. Therefore, It can not accepted by them because it caused emergence of  social problems inequality and tensions relations between Muslims and non-Muslim citizens in the society. France also disseminate a debate and indignation all over the world. Hundreds of Muslims women were arrested for breaking the set of rules. Actually, for a Muslims, hijab and burqa are not just a fashion style that covers their body but it is an obligation that must to do through their religion. The conflict is strongly articulated in terms of the principles of religion freedom. Therefore, from these problem we can noted that relationship between religion and politics it rests on a false separation of public and private. “If a secular state is to respect all faiths and ensure free practice of spiritual and cultural activities for all communities, this means, the panel argued, that the state must accept publicly visible manifestations of religion, and its ritual expression in public space.” (Mazza, 2009) . Religion cannot be relegated to the private sphere because religious expression is inherently social as well as personal or private. On a global level, religions have become a strong political symbol, and directly influence political action and decisions in every state.

This prohibition make an intolerance and harassment against the exiting interaction efforts of french Muslim before. Before the French government ratified the regulation, Muslims there had carried out the process of integration and cooperation with culture and another religion. The integration effort has run quite well and has a good effect. But after the ban was imposed, the situation became increasingly chaotic, which led to the existence of intolerance and disturbing the comfort of many people. This indirectly led to rebellion and religious divisions between the Muslim and non-Muslim. There are several examples of cases that occur. "In 1989 the issue of discrimination arose against students wearing headscarves in schools, 3 girls in the Creil, the suburbs in Paris were suspended because of wearing headscarves in public secondary schools (Wing, 2006). Based on data obtained from the French police there were 131 cases of racism reported in 2004 and 65 cases in 2005 and based on the annual Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l'Homme (CNCDH) report against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia there were 352 cases violence and threats to immigrants from North Africa or to Muslims, 266 are threatening actions and the remaining 64 are acts of violence.” (EMC, 2006:72). If we look at the case above, we can conclude that the value of democracy and justice will not be enforced to the fullest in a French country. In fact, as we have seen, human rights are prioritized in various parts of the world. So from that this regulation can be deemed deviant and harms many people and does not rule out the possibility of a review and even the revocation of the decision.

This prohibition has caused many disputes. Many people do not agree with that decision. There are several considerations that convinced by people who do not agree with these regulations. First, these regulation shows intolerance and harassment against exiting integration efforts of French Muslims. (Wiles, 2005) Second, it was also provoked rebellion and religious division between Muslim  and Non-Muslim. For example there are many cases that make a Muslims as a victims. Besides that, the regulation was led Islam and other religions to battle and struggle each other. Than, as a country that upholds the values ​​of democracy and human rights it is considered very detrimental to the state. Because of the ban, the country 's democracy and justice will not grow up to the full extent. The process of justice and welfare among humans is very difficult to obtain. Even the fabric of society becomes unbalanced. Finally, there is an agreement in society that leads to a sense of hatred for a particular religion, it means that it can increased hostility towards both the Islamic symbols and the Islamic religion itself.

The regulations which regarding to the prohibition of using Islamic symbols in France are very contrary through  the principle of welfare of human life, because it is showing intolerance and harassment against the exiting integration efforts of French Muslim, provoked rebellion and religious divisions (Muslim and non-Muslim), Led to battle and struggle between Islam and other religions. Furthermore, because of the ban, the French country 's democracy and justice will not grow up to the maximum accession. Moreover, it is resulting many hostility towards the both of the Islamic symbols and the Islamic religion itself.

References

Spini, D.L. (2004). Unveiling The Headscarf Debate. Feminist Legal Studies; Kluwer Academic

              Publishers. Printed In The Netherlands., 333.

Mazza, O. (2009). The Right To Wear Headscarves And Other Religious Symbol In French, Turkish, And American School: How The Goverenment Draws A Veil On Free Expression Of Faith. Journal Of Catholic Legal Studies, 48 : No. 2, 304.

Rafsitahandjani, N. I. (2017, September-Desember). Dinamika Pelarangan Niqab Dan Burqa Di Eropa Barat: Studi Kasus Prancis Dan Belgia. Interdependence Journal, 05. No:3, 114.

Spini, D. L. (2004). Unveiling The Headscraf Debate. Feminist Legal Studies 12, 333.

Susanto, S. (2014). Dukungan European Court Of Human Right Bagi Pelanggaran Jilbab Di Sekolah, Serta Niqob Dan Burqo Di Perancis. Journal Thesis Of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, 01.

Wing, Adrien Katherine dan Smith, Monica Nigh. 2006. “Critical Race Feminism Lifts the

             Veil? Muslim Women, France, and the Headscarf Ban”, U.C Davis Law Review, 

             3 Januari 2006, hal. 754.

European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, “Muslims in the European Union:

                Discrimination and Islamophobia” 2006. Hal. 72