Burqa Should Be Banned In Public Schools Essay

In 2011, my aunt Leila, who lives in Paris, was stopped by law enforcement because she was wearing a burqa, an outer garment worn to cover the entire body and face for religious and cultural reasons. She was fined 150 euros which is equivalent to about 205 U. S dollars, and such fines can be up to 200 euros. Leila was nearly arrested because she was resisting the force they were using against her to try to get her out of public by moving her to a more secluded location. Many others have experienced situations similar to what my aunt has, and the public debate has been going on for years before and after the law went into effect, continuing to fuel fire on both sides.
Ultimately, the debate struck in 2004 when the secularist country of France forbade students in state-run schools to display any form of religious symbols. The bans of religious affiliated garments, such as the veil, escalated from schools to now being in public settings. The law was finalized in April 2011, “prohibiting the concealment of one’s face in public places” (Grand Chamber). Although the law was passed nationally for France and Belgium, other countries in Europe such as Italy are following the same route in banning the covering of faces in public. Many people still choose to wear it because they believe it is their human right to do so.
For one, the French government claims the ban is not directed towards Muslim women but rather anyone who covers his or her face when it isn’t needed. For example, it is also against the law for someone to wear a helmet when not on a motorcycle. Those against the ban believe that claim is used as an excuse to specifically target Muslim women because of the fear of Islam, otherwise known as Islamophobia. While others make the claim that the ban is not to directly target Muslim women but rather allows for the communities in France to all fit in as one