“Wearing hijab in public spaces is non-compliant to the laic laws of our country, it (the hijab) profoundly disturbs the philosophy of our Nation.” These were words uttered by French President Macron after he visited La Reunion Island in 2018. It’s no surprise then, that this month, the French Senate voted in The Separatism Bill which furthers the gap between France’s Muslim community and its government. This new bill will ban burkinis and hijab for young girls under the age of 18. It will also ban the wearing of hijab in sports competitions as well as mums in school outings. In response to the regressive bill, a wave of support from around the world centring on the use of the hashtag #handsoffmyhijab was launched and its French equivalent #touchepasàmonhijab went viral.
I wanted to hear directly from women affected by the controversial measure, so I sought the opinion of Muslim women who were born and raised in France about their experiences living under its Islampohobic laws. The following, are the stories of hijab-wearing Black Muslim women in France. We discussed the lack of safe spaces to engage in the public discussion about how gender, race and religious issues are intertwined. We also spoke about the vote and its consequences from a social and mental health standpoint. Their words paint a picture of resilience, hope and inspiration despite what the public may think.
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“In my everyday life, I choose to be aligned with my values, hence I would not consider removing my hijab in any cases,” says Bayii, a Muslim lawyer living in France. Since she works within the private sector, she’s at a company where she can wear it. “Why should I change my habits in a country where I was born but doesn’t accept me fully?” she added.
Amongst the 5.7 million Muslims in France, when it comes to social and political matters, Black women wearing hijab are rarely heard. Alongside their counterparts, they are denied both their Muslim and French identities by the politicians in charge. The women I interviewed consider themselves Muslim, Black (mainly From East and West Africa) and French. They embrace all these identities. In the same way that they decided to pursue education to achieve their professional goals, they also studied their religion and wore hijab by choice—not by constraint.
“When I heard Macron’s speech, I was speechless. According to him, if I wear my hijab in public, I am not considered entirely as a French citizen,” says Hadiatou, a new mum from Epinay sur Seine. “But what does it mean to be French? [Does it mean] I should not represent a threat to the country with what I wear,” she asks.
Finding women willing to give their opinion about this controversial vote was challenging. Arguably, because they are only asked their opinion sporadically and often only for religious and racial issues. As women who have opinions about other subjects, they feel boxed in. “I think that the women will not reply, because they don’t trust the media nor the politicians who would use their voices to argue, and promote political views that they don’t represent,” shared Khalidja, a Senegalese-Guinean law student who decided to protest with a group of friends on Instagram. “Social media is my media, I am using it to be heard,” she states firmly.
As a response to the lack of safe platforms, Bayii created the podcast L’Effet Miroir with her longtime friend Lisa, in which they both share their experiences as Black women living in France. As a co-host Bayii refers to her own experience on each episode and shares stories from other women who are rarely heard online. In 2018, they released the episode Black and Muslim. So far, it is the only podcast episode in France exploring this subject. “I wanted to explore both themes being a woman and Muslim in a society where racism and Islamophobia are more present than ever. How does one construct one's identity as a Black and Muslim woman? The [podcast’s] reception was great. Not only [did] Muslim women listened to it, [but] also French [people] and North Africans, who learnt about racism even within the Muslim community.”
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The Separatism Bill and Its Consequences
“The diversity of voices—this is what should make France stronger, and not divided,” says Bayii. Instead, the Separatism Bill enforces social tensions and cleavages. “Unfair,” “unloyal,” “segregationist,” and “scandalous” were some of the words used to describe the bill. Mums, students and sportswomen are targeted and will soon be deprived of outings or sports competitions.
For Coumba Sissoko, a mum of two from Malian Bambara origins, it’s a restriction on her freedom. She will no longer be able to take her children to outings unless she removes it. “The government did not ask our opinion. There should have been a referendum asking women if they are forced to wear it. These laws can force us to withdraw within ourselves,” says Sissoko. “I also wonder if this Bill applies to women who dress modestly from every religion. We are asked to conform to the French Republic but the way I decide to fit in is with my hijab. I should be allowed to do whatever I want with my life and my body. Also, I am not sure whether the educational system was questioned about this issue” ponders Sissoko who, not so long ago, was invited to take part in outings by the headteacher of her children's school.
Sportswomen were not asked their opinion either. Founé Diawara, a football player and member of the organization Les Hijabeuses for players wearing hijab, was invited to discuss the issue in the media, as she works with this organization to emancipate and empower women through sports. She disagrees with this vote because, for her, the bill is actually against women’s emancipation. “Instead the French State is choosing for us”, she says.
As a consequence, many women start to feel anxious and pressed to find alternatives. “I have built up my life in France, where else should I go? I am considered a toibou (a foreigner) in Mali when I go back there with my family,” says Bayii, when asked about how she deals with the negative comments from people asking them to leave France.
Even in French private school, the problem persists. Aquila, a 16-year-old Comorian artist and high school student from the South of France recalls how her dad had to start taking her to school meetings because her mum once had to remove her hijab at a meeting. “I was very frustrated that my mum could not attend with it.” In an illustration she made, she aimed to highlight a proud hijab-wearing Black woman standing out from the crowd as an artistic response to fight against the bill. Seeing one’s parents denied their identity can be a devastating and even traumatic experience for a child, but Aquila has used art as an outlet.
When examining the consequences of this new bill on the social and mental health, of the people it affects, psychologist Fatma Bouvet De La Maisonneuve used the term “denial of discrimination,” which she defines as “the refusal of dialogue and acknowledgement between both parties” She made these comments while on the podcast Kiffe Ta Race, hosted by journalists Rokhaya Diallo and Grace Ly, where she also mentioned the devastating psychological effects of discrimination, including depression, lack of self-confidence and anxiety. Mental health issues can sometimes be considered taboo in Muslim communities and these laws can have a heavily negative effect long term.
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“I Always Challenge Myself to be the Best and Aim for the Best”—Finding Hope and Inspiration
What politicians fail to see in these stories is the resilience and desire of French Muslims to inspire others to be truly who they are. I came to the conclusion that many did not necessarily want to take part in the debate because they are too busy being active and thriving members of society.
“I am actively involved in the French society, helping others like me get access to education in the best schools,” says Khalidja, who studies at Sorbonne University, one of the best universities in the country.
“There are stereotypes saying that the women wearing hijab are not happy. Although the women I know who wear it feel more happy than they were before they chose to wear it” says Sissoko. She also adds that she has always been able to achieve anything she wanted in life with her hijab. “I travel the world, I even worked in the music industry. And ironically, when I was working there, I heard more sexist remarks than anti hijab remarks.”
Hijab is considered an empowering garment for the women who wear it and the families who support them in doing so. “You are going to do great things and you should aim for great things,” says the uncle of boxer and sports business and investment lawyer Khadija Timera in New York. Now that she’s conquered the boxing and law industry, the Berkeley graduate and international Senegalese boxing champion, born in France, is now aiming to inspire others. “I always challenge myself to be the best and aim for the best. My mission is to inspire other women. When I visited Senegal and saw that there were feminine boxing clubs that were funded by the Senegalese state, I knew that I should continue. I hope that I will be able to spread my vision even in France. It’s not about being successful—I want to use this success to build up a legacy” says Timera with a confident voice.
The role of family plays a big part in ensuring that young girls who wear hijab can confidently deal with the challenges they face in a society trying to change them. When questioned about the lack of representation and role models for young Muslim girls, M.—a neuropsychologist who chose to remain anonymous, tells me: “Tell your children to forgive themselves and be forgiving. They should start practising at a young age. As a parent [tell them that they] have the skills and are capable of making it in life. Lastly, be a role model. A child will rather identify and be inspired more easily with actions than words, so you should incarnate this model.” Her words are a reminder of why the stories of Black Muslim women are important and should be reckoned with, as they fight to protect their right to choose who they are.