Should the Burqa be Banned in Italy?

Sep 22, 2011
Kihindei Adai

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The recent passing of laws in the Italian Parliament seek a permanent ban on the burqa and Hijab in Italy.

On August 2, headlines in many Italian newspapers read, “verso il divieto del burqa in Italia primo si in commissione alla camera!” In other words, Italy’s burqa ban passes in the parliamentary commission. The Italian parliament voted and approved it’s ban on burqas and the hijab in public. According to many outspoken opponents to the wearing of the burqa, it is a symbol of segregation, which is against the Italian constitution. Another sentiment is that voiced by Minister of Education, Mara Carfagna, “The burqa is never a free choice of the women but a sign of cultural and physical oppression; it’s prohibition would give freedom to the immigrated women and help them to exit from the cultural ghettos that lock them away.”

It appears as if the general opinion of Islam in Italy is that it is an oppressive force used to keep women controlled and under the foot of men. The mentioning of a “cultural ghetto” by Carfagna signifies; a place separated from mainstream society where they are forced to be, whether they like it or not. Between her sentiments and that of Morrocan born Souda Sbai who sponsored the law, these sentiments can be very convincing when peering through a veil, laid across your eyes by people who have left the faith. However, what appears to be missing are the voices of conservative Muslims in Italy.

Dignity Behind the Veil?

To many onlookers, the move is seen as an act with an under-current of xenophobia; caused by the growing number of African immigrants in Italy. There has been a lot of backlash, and as quiet as it is kept, many immigrant women of both African and Eastern European descent fight the assumption of them being prostitutes merely on presence alone. The burqa often provides a sense of protection and comfort to many immigrant women, in a society where sexual trafficking of immigrant women is rampant. There have been many days in which I, too, have thought of donning a hijab as a barrier to the stares of men who think you are looking for business, just because you are brown and walking down the street. It is for this reason, I must ask should they proceed with the attempt to ban burqas? After such a ban, what laws will be present to protect all women from street harassment?

Through the eyes of an American

On the other hand, there are also other feelings about this law that continue to hinder my opinion and cause it to waiver. As an American, If I were writing this in reference to a law proposed by the United States Congress, I may have a differing opinion. I am a firm believer in respecting the laws and traditions of any host country and I realize that Italy has a distinctive history, and religious culture. My country however - The United States- is a virtual salad bowl, where we try to acknowledge each ethnic flavor equally. We are a country that welcomes all and religious rights are something to be protected. Italy is different. It is a virtually homogenous country that has only seen droplets of diversity pouring in within the past ten years. It is also known as the birthplace of Catholicism and there are some major differences between said religion and that of Islam.

When in Rome....

It is a country where the rights of its citizenry are protected, it has never promoted itself as a land of opportunity with an open invitation to all. Thus, if one should arrive, there is an expectation of reasonable integration into the culture. No one is asking followers of Islam to covert, but instead to conform to social standards of dress and to allow women the right to choose freely. Unfortunately, because most Muslim cultures are extremely patriarchal and women are seen as possessions, there is no way to know for sure that a woman is wearing it by choice or solely due to the shackles of culture or marriage. It is for this reason, I feel that the burqa should indeed be banned.

It would be no different than what is expected in conservative Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, where bibles and crosses are considered contraband and confiscated at the airport. In these countries, non-Muslim women are also expected to wear a burqa while in public. So why should Italy - being the birthplace of Catholicism - tolerate that which contradicts their traditions?

Many may argue that the wearing of the burqa is in direct violation of Article 19 of the Italian Constitution. According to this passage it says, “Anyone is entitled to freely profess their religious belief in any form, individually or with others, and to promote them and celebrate rites in public or in private, provided they are not offensive to public morality.” Public Morality is the general expected standard of conduct, and comportment of the majority. The comportment of the majority is to wear westernized clothing and because many Italians are bothered by the wearing of the burqa, it can be argued that it is offensive to public morality. As it stands, the burqa is in conflict with Italian culture. Italy has every right to ban burqas and if people wish to live in Italia, it is best that they conform and integrate to Italian cultural expectations.