Covering Muslims

It’s hard to practise Islam in France

IT’S hard to be a Muslim in France. The anti-separatism bill, which is just an “aye” away from becoming law after recently getting the nod from the French Senate, is the latest legislation that will hurt Muslims. But the French government led by President Emmanuel Macron says the bill is not against Islam. True, “Islam” or “Islamist extremism” isn’t found in the text of the bill. But critics, both Muslims and nonMuslims, disagree with the stand taken by the government. Protests, both virtual and the brick-and-mortar kind, happen now and then, proving the detractors right. If Al Jazeera’s recent report as the bill was making its legislative rounds is right, the detractors included imams, teachers of Islamic science and Muslim associations. There was no lack of critics outside of France. Yesterday, Sinar Harian, a local Malay daily, ran a lengthy piece on the state of Muslims in France, the headline saying it all for the close to two billion faithful around the world: “Muslims peeved with Fance’s move”. Notwithstanding the absence of any reference to “Islam”, the bill risks discriminating against Muslims, men and women. Take the hijab as a case in point. Only Muslim women wear them as their faith requires. Christians don’t, though nuns do come close in their headdress. Banning the headscarf is equivalent to compelling Muslims not to practise their faith. We acknowledge France is a secular nation with secular values. But France’s secular values promote liberty, equality and fraternity. The anti-separatism separates Muslims for harsh treatment. The French government must realise that the anti-separatism bill kills the very secular values that it aims to promote. There is a better way to promote French secular traits without eddying away at the values of a revealed religion. Muslim scholars, imams, and teachers of Islamic science in France will surely know how France can keep its liberty, equality and fraternity without hurting Islam. The French government will do well to opt for dialogue with the Muslim community before tabling a legislation that affects them. We understand France’s fear of terrorism. But this must not be used as a pretext to force Muslims to give up their faith. Asking Muslim women not to wear the hijab is an attempt to erode the faith of Muslim women. French and Western politicians have a knack for inventing concepts such as “Islamists” or “radical Islam”. To see Islam this way is to misunderstand the religion. There are no such concepts in Islam. The media, especially the Western media, must shoulder the blame, too, for being complicit in giving currency to such devious agenda of politicians. Who are the “Islamists”? Devout Muslims? Then call them so. What is “radical Islam”? Know this. Islam is Islam as revealed 1,442 years ago. Don’t go attaching “radical” to a faith to achieve some devious design. Terrorism and suicide bombings are not a Muslim invention, as some Western leaders think. The first suicide bomber was a Sri Lankan Tamil who was fighting Sinhalese persecution of his people. Western leaders can learn a thing or two from New Zealand on how to handle terrorism. And how to treat the Muslims, who were the victims of white supremacist Brenton Harrison Tarrant. He, a Christian, and the many who went before him and the many who had come after him, have proven that terrorism isn’t a Muslim invention. Terrorism’s source is elsewhere. Not in Islam.

The French government must realise that the anti-separatism bill kills the very secular values that it aims to promote.