A Third Way to France's Ban on the Burqa

The French Parliament’s ban on the Burqa, an Islamic full body covering, has generated mixed feelings among citizens, specifically that of France’s Muslim population. The law that came into effect in early April has lead many people to question whether this ban violates religious freedom, and if so, the extent to which it is ok to sacrifice the safety of an entire nation to accommodate one group’s religious preferences. Although this debate clearly resembles the narrow divide between church and state, Catherine Keller proposes a ‘third way’ that satisfies the desires of both institutions. A thorough analysis of Keller’s novel, “On the Mystery”, reveals a solution to this controversial debate in her definition of resolute faith.

According to Keller there are two types of faith, that of the absolute and the dissolute. In the beginning of her novel, Keller defines the dispute between these two extremes as “...binary alternatives,...camps,...predictable polarities of right vs. left, red vs. blue, us vs. you” (2). This quote reinforces the notion that the absolute and dissolute are entirely separate entities. Absolutism, in this case, defines Muslims who believe that a law forbidding full body coverings infringes upon their right to religious freedom. The Dissolute, on the other hand, are those that oppose such coverings for the mere belief that it reinforces female oppression. According to Keller, “...when people of faith step out of the mystery and make totalizing claims for our truth and our beliefs, we perpetuate an antagonistic polarity that actually paralyzes faith rather than fostering its living process” (4). This quote truly embodies the political debate between the French government and Islamic community through it’s emphasis on how society remains stagnate when one party makes claims about what is right and wrong. Although she does not say so directly in her statement, Keller presents us with a mission, a mission to reveal a ‘third way’.

For a number of Muslims, the Burqa represents a public commitment to Islam and enhances their connection to the faith (National Public Radio). Alternatively, for France, it perpetuates the oppression of women and poses a safety concern for citizens. This conflict between the absolute and dissolute cannot be peacefully resolved simply by adhering to one request over the other. Therefore, a ‘third way’ is necessary to bring the ideals of both groups together, maintaining a sense of religious freedom while also fulfilling the duties and priorities of a secular nation. Keller states, “The third way...is not a middle ground. That would just leave the two poles in place. It is not a compromise, an Aristotelian mean between two extremes, a laid-back moderation, or a strategy to swing votes. It really is something else, something emerging. Something on the way” (2). In other words, the resolution to this problem can be viewed as part of a process, not strictly embedded in the roots of two extremes. Applying Keller’s idea of a ‘third way’ in this instance is no easy task; however, upon further research it appears as if this process is already underway. Personally, I believe the ‘third way’ is as follows: Muslim women who desire to express their religious devotion by wearing Islamic headscarves should be allowed to do so but only to the extent to which they can be clearly identified in public. This ‘way’ encapsulates the desire to express religion while also conforming to the safety needs of a nation.

For many, this debate unearths repressed feelings toward the Muslim population in the post 9/11 era, generating the idea that the forbiddance of such expressions of faith are enforced solely out of “Islamaphobia”, or prejudice against Muslims.(National Public Radio). This controversy sends an important message to Muslims and the French government alike, saying that there is a way to resolve this issue while maintaing the core values of both religious and secular societies. Keller emphasizes that “between the absolute and the dissolute, arises the resolute” (25). This ‘third way’ allows Muslim women to express their religious freedom while maintaining order in the secular world.

Works Cited

Keller, Catherine. On the Mystery: Discerning Divinity in Process. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2008. Print.

More, Tell Me. "Debating The Burqa: Sarkozy Proposes Ban : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106198806>.