As For This...

Bronwyn Bishop calls for state schools to ban the headscarf.

I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean, and why Bishop decided to make this statement, or why she made it now.

I get the feeling  it's one of those comments that politicians often make that, while having no real purpose, send a message to certain sectors of the Australian voting public. Don't worry, we're doing something about the threat of terrorism. We're cracking down on them. We'll force them to be like us, by whatever means necessary.  It's a token gesture that does nothing but give opinion writers (and bloggers) something to pontificate about.

I'm no fan of the headscarf but then, I'm not a Muslim woman. It's not important to me. Frankly, if I was a Muslim woman I probably wouldn't want to wear one either. But if it is important to a 15-year old Muslim girl to wear one, and provided it is her choice, what's the big deal?

My major concern is this: wouldn't a rule like this push some Muslim girls out of the state education system and possibly into Muslim schools? Wouldn't this have the effect of further segregating Muslims from mainstream Australia and further entrenching the sense of alienation some Muslims feel? Is this a chasm that needs widening?

When it comes to people "fitting in" to the "Australian way of life" (I use these terms reservedly and with an eye on all the contradictions, elisions and gaps in that particular set of ideas) some things are important and some things are not. We should not let 14 year old girls be sent off to other countries for arranged marriages.  Muslim women should not be treated like property or chattel, be beaten or killed as they often are in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia. Female genital mutilation should be stamped out across the world.

But the headscarf? The headscarf is an item of clothing.  It is not a stone thrown at a rape victim or a rusty knife hacking at a small girl's genitals.

The headscarf is not the icon of the battle for women's rights under Islam. And banning it in state schools does nothing to ensure Australia remains a safe, secular country. All it does is target a small group of Muslim teenage girls, and make them feel even less a part of Australian society.

Comments

[Guy]

Much like former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden's comments about Bob Carr's wife, this was dumb politics, and a irresponsible thing to say.

[Mark Bahnisch]

Trackback:

http://larvatusprodeo.redrag.net/2005/08/28/devine-vs-bishop/

[larissa]

I saw her on Sunrise yesterday morning and wanted to reach through the screen and slap her.

It makes me sad that someone in her position would make such a statement.

I bet she's glad the whole brogden debacle is taking the attention away from her today.

[Cotard]

Little Johnny's response to Bronny's ludicrous-ness wasn't too convincing either.

He doesn't support proposals to outlaw the Hajib because a ban "wouldn't be practical".

What sort of reason is that?

Call my cynical, but does that mean he would ban it if he could get away with it? If it meant not having to differentiate between Muslim headscarves, Jewish caps, Seikh turbans and the like.

P.S. Nice blog BTW

[Rebekka]

Hang on a minute, Muslim women are told (in the Koran) to cover themselves so "that they should be known and not molested". Isn't this the equivalent of telling women if they're wearing revealing clothes they're "asking for it"? I think this is a feminist issue. I also think what BB said was absolutely nothing like the utterly ridiculous comments made by Brogden, which were sexist and racist. There's no comparison. BB was saying that women might feel free wearing it, but that freedom is an illusion. Much as I hate to agree with her because I generally despise her and everything she stands for, I actually think she's right.

[Kate]

Rebekka, I understand what you're saying but for me it's a question of force and choice. No Muslim woman should be forced to wear the hijab. Alternatively, no woman should be forced not to wear the hijab.

I certainly don't think it's the role of state schools to force girls not to wear it.

As I said, from my perspective, I'm no fan of the headscarf. The idea that a woman is a temptation to men by revealing herself, or even her hair, is repugnant to me.

However, the headscarf isn't just a religious edict, it's a cultural matter as well. Think how you would feel if you moved to a place where the culture was for women to walk around bare-breasted. Would you be entirely comfortable doing so? I certainly would find it difficult. If someone tried to force me to do it I'd find it very disturbing.

Some Muslim feminists also claim the hijab is "freeing" and they feel wearing it is a sign of their faith.

From my perspective, feminists need to focus on the material realities of the lives of women under Islam. And what this comes down to is that women under Islam should have the freedom to make their own choices, freedom from violence and the threat of physical danger, freedom from oppressive laws and forced marriages etc.

It's a complex issue, and I don't think making life (more) difficult for teenage muslim girls is really the way to address it.