The hashtag #HandsOffMyHijab is gaining traction on social media as people express their disapproval of the French Senate’s proposal to prohibit the hijab for women under 18. The hijab, a headscarf that has sparked debate in France for many years, is worn by numerous Muslim women. This move by the French Senate is part of Paris’s attempt to advance a bill referred to as “anti-separatism,” which critics argue specifically targets the Muslim minority in the country while claiming to reinforce the secular framework.
A draft amendment that called for the “prohibition in public space of any conspicuous religious sign by minors and of any dress or clothing that would signify inferiority of women over men” was accepted by senators during their March 30 debate of the proposed legislation. The French National Assembly must approve the measure before it can become law; thus, the prohibition is not yet in place.
Present crime statistics
Every year is a time for introspection, and France’s interior minister undoubtedly has much on his mind. Bruno Retailleau is in charge of maintaining law and order in a nation where crime is rising. Crimes like robbery and murder dominate the news, but some stories reveal the frequently concealed evil in French society. The horrifying serial rape trial in Avignon at the end of 2024, in which a so-called “ordinary Joe” was found guilty of permitting dozens of Frenchmen who were similar to him to defile his wife for up to ten years, served as a stark reminder of this.
Retailleau has been vocal in his criticism of nonviolent Muslim women who dare to cover their heads in public, as is customary. On the tenth anniversary of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks, he attempted to paint them all as possible terrorists in incredibly dishonest remarks. Retailleau stated, “The threat of attack has never been so great as it is now,” before advocating for the enforcement of garment regulations. He specifically wants to outlaw the wearing of headscarves by women who accompany children to school.
In 2024, France faced a concerning average of three murders each day, alongside 600 burglaries, more than 330 armed robberies, and over 1,186 homicides. The total count of violent crimes in 2023 exceeded 384,100, marking the highest level since 2016.
The real causes of violent crime in France
Additionally, Retailleau demanded that colleges, which are supposed to support France’s ideals of “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity,” forbid the wearing of such clothing. In a nation where six million Muslims, the largest group in Western Europe, are frequently used as a convenient scapegoat for nearly every problem, such ideals are routinely disregarded.
He would have remembered that drugged-up male criminals dressed like special forces commandos, not women in headscarves, were responsible for the horrifying Charlie Hebdo attacks and the subsequent atrocities in France committed by Al-Qaeda and Daesh. Several Muslims perished in the massacre, while the murderers’ stated goal was retaliation for Charlie Hebdo’s mockery of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Retailleau’s suggestion that everyone associated with Islam was somewhat to blame for crimes carried out by banned organizations based in the Middle East was ridiculed by this.
Retailleau’s remarks regarding the millions of French citizens, many of whom are dark-skinned Muslims, who reside in run-down housing estates on the outskirts of major cities like Paris and can trace their ancestry back to former French colonies, support any notion that his discourse may have a racial component.
The rising issue of women’s headscarves
Retailleau complained of “ethnic regression” among people whose ancestors were immigrants during protests after a police officer shot and killed adolescent Nahel Merzouk in 2023. Merzouk’s family was originally from Algeria and Morocco. He proposed that people of Arab and Berber descent who were associated with France’s former North African Empire, for instance, were regressing in terms of proper conduct and overall integration.
Retailleau’s opinions on headscarves, which he believes are connected to lower races, are another example of such overt bigotry. The headscarves, which come in a variety of sizes, colors, and shapes, actually have nothing to do with Islam. They happen to be worn by many Muslim women. In actuality, many French women make the autonomous decision to cover their heads.
They are similar to Roman Catholics who wear mantillas, Jews who wear tichels, and others who frequently wear them while they are out in the country. Muslims view the headscarf, like all other headwear, as a symbol of their cultural conservatism and a source of respect. They consider faith to be an expression of humility before God.
