- “Anyone who covers their face ends up severing themselves from society. It creates a barrier and hinders participation in public debate."
This kind of quote (from a Muslim women's activist) is exactly how I would summarize the situation. The ban wouldn't be necessary if people weren't excluding themselves in such an oppressive manner. Domestic abuse used to be considered a "private matter" that was ignored by the authorities, and now we know better. I see no difference here. For better or for worse, this is the exact result that the French government is looking for. They want to pressure the extreme minority of people who wear the full niqab to either drop it and join French society, or move to a country that supports the practice."I don't want to spend the rest of my life here. I have plans to move away, because I don't want to live like this,"
Just a bit of background rambling.
Anyway this is only viewed as a "religious" matter because it happens in Muslim countries. But in actuality, women covering themselves in the Mideast predates Islam. Its a cultural practice, not a religious one.
That aside, religion is culture and will have to be incorporated into and changed by the new society, just like the veil was incorporated into the islam. And bans are one way of doing it...
Edit: Afterthought