Unveiling Hypocrisy

"I have decided to stick with love.

Hate is too great a burden to bear."

- Martin Luther King, Jr. -

It isn't hate that motivates the French Government as it attempts to ban the niqab and burqa in all public locations; it's the fact that Islamic veiling is a symbol of oppression - a symbol that wholly contradicts the ideals and national identity of France and does not belong on French soil. We must liberate women! 

If you ask many Muslim women, however, they'll tell you they've already achieved liberation (and without the help of Nicolas Sarkozy, thank you very much). Yes, many will tell you that donning a veil has actually helped them grow in faith and realize empowerment. By taking away their right to cover, you're stripping them (no pun intended) of their identity. Government officials claim they have good intentions in proposing a law that will do just that, but I fear they don't understand the potential consequences. See... hate breeds hate.

But there's no hate to begin with, right?

Not exactly.

What starts as a misunderstanding or misinterpretation (i.e., the meaning behind and reasons for wearing the niqab and burqa) can quickly become an irritant and, eventually, a perfect excuse for refusing to accept those who are different from you. Hate often has its roots in ignorance. Think about it: we fear the unknown... we experience culture shock... we include "normal" and "abnormal" in our daily vocabulary. If we don't understand something, we're quick to judge, to assume, and to form an opinion we then take as fact. In the end, it's often an us vs. them scenario.

**What and how a woman covers is her personal decision. The niqab and burqa are not required under Islamic Law, and I, myself, do not believe in those specific forms of veiling. With that said, there are countless women who choose to cover more than what is required in an effort to further increase their piety through modesty and worship. Although I do not plan on wearing the niqab or burqa, I fully support my sisters-in-Islam who do. It is true that some women are pressured to cover by their family members and individual cultures, and I do not condone coercion whatsoever; however, it is extremely inaccurate for one to assume that all or even most women are forced to veil. I happen to have met two converts who wear the niqab. Each chose her faith and her expression of that faith.**

President Sarkozy, have you gone door-to-door and personally interviewed each Muslim woman living in your country? How can your government claim it's freeing women when you can't guarantee that said women are enslaved by their veils in the first place?

And have you realized the silliness of a "public" ban on the niqab and burqa? Oh, I get it. You're saying they are still free to veil themselves when at home. Well, with the exception of entertaining male guests or strangers, a woman doesn't need to cover in the comfort of her private residence...

At the bottom of an online CNN article regarding the proposed ban, a Mennonite woman wrote that there was little difference between a Muslim wearing a veil and a Christian wearing a cross. Another individual then discreetly called her an idiot. Only an ignorant fool would make such a comparison! 

In that case, I guess it takes one to know one.

While a niqab and a cross might seem quite different, the principle is the same. It's a form of religious expression, and how dare someone try and take that away. A country will pride itself on being a very secular nation, meaning, theoretically, that there's no State religion. Then the leaders of those countries decide to bring religion into the political arena. In truth, the officials who want to avoid religious debate are engaging in just that when they're trying to rid the world of Islamic veils. If a nun adopts modest dress and a habit, do people scream in outrage? She's choosing her wardrobe based on personal beliefs and freely expressing her piety. But if an everyday Muslim woman strives to do the same thing, now we have national - even international - protest.

The problem is that it's Islam. The problem is that the media takes advantage of every case of domestic violence and every bout of terrorism, constantly portraying a religion of peace as a religion of patriarchs and murderers. The problem is that people are too stubborn to educate themselves before making drastic decisions that ultimately impact their public image and the lives of thousands.

Again, hate breeds hate. If the former comes along, you can bet the latter will follow. Keep bashing a group of people, and soon they'll resent you. There's a way to prevent such a vicious cycle from occurring: put an end to ignorance. It's one thing to be ignorant because you don't have access to resources or any opportunity to gain insight; but when perfectly intelligent and capable human beings are unwilling to learn - when they CHOOSE to remain ignorant - what excuse is there? If everyone could just open his mind and share that newfound knowledge with one other person, I feel improvements could be made, if only little by little.

It's time to unveil hypocrisy - to recognize it and to cast it aside. As humans, we've been granted intelligence and reason; yet, much of our potential goes to waste.

So thank you to those who accept and respect others. 

Love is so much more productive, so much more worthwhile.

Embrace.