Expert: Austin Cline - 5/27/2004

Question
I'm a high school teacher in Spain. I know you are a strict church-state separationist, so I'm curious to know your opinion on the islamic hijab or headscarf controversy. The French seem adamant about the ban, while the British seem to be taking a more pragmatic approach (maybe because there is no real separation of church and state in Britain, where the Monarch is also head of the Church). I know it's a difficult issue, so thanks in advance for your time.

Answer
In general, I would support the right to students to wear what they want - but only if the same rights are given to everyone else (I don't think that exceptions to dress codes should exist for *only* religious reasons... a person who objects as a matter of conscience, but not religion, should be excepted as well).

However, there is a difference between Britain and France: the latter seems to have larger percentage of fundamentalists who pressure the moderates. Thus, a ban on headscarves is seen in France not simply as a means to promote a secular state, but also to provide "cover" to those Muslims who don't think the headscarf is necessary to be a good Muslim.

I have written more about this here:

http://atheism.about.com/b/a/075373.htm

It seems like there are two possible situations: ban the headscarf and deny the choice to those who want to wear it or allow the headscarf and allow choice to be denied (through peer pressure) to those who don't want to wear it. The French government went with the former, knowing that those who do want to wear the scarf will still have he choice of Muslims schools.

It may not be a great solution/situation, but I can't think of a better one given their circumstances. Britain may be opting for this path as well:

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,1226554,00.html

In America, secular culture is so strong and Muslims a small enough minority that we don't have to make such a choice. I don't know about Spain.