French approach to secularists

Submitted by John Hadjisky (United States), Apr 8, 2004 at 16:07

As fashionable as it is to despise the French, we can learn from at least one aspect of how they've responded to the Islamists in their own country by banning headscarves in public schools.

This French policy has more in commmon with the Atatürkists' solution of banning religion from any role in public life that does the United States approach of opposing the *establishment* of any official religion but generally taking a practical, live and let live approach to self expression (i.e. dress) in the public sphere. For example, in some (not even all!) states, Muslims are not allowed to wear a veil in their drivers license or passport photos, for obvious practical reasons...but a woman could attend school, etc. in full, Afghan-style hijjab without breaking any laws, indeed, in many cases her right to do so, as an adult at least, would be protected by the constutution.

Interestingly, the major exception to the rule of live and let live with regards to religion in the US is against the Christians, who are scrutinized carefully for anything, including their choice of clothing and T-shirt graphics, that might be construed as promoting their religion in the public sphere.

Of course, adopting the Atatürkists' solution in the US would almost certainly require a major constitutional ammedment, and I for one am not at all certain I want to go down that path...but at least it should be debated.

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