I just recently read a news_article about a Moroccan women who was denied citizenship to France because she had not assimilated enough into French culture. The main reason being, she refused to remove her full length veil (niqab) in the presence of men. Her religious beliefs require the veil as well as full submission to the males in her family. The court views her wearing the veil as proof that she has not assimilated and does not hold to the essential values of the French community, notably the equality of the sexes.
This breaks my heart and it is hard to know where to start with this. While I hold to France's right to withhold citizenship, I don't believe they have done France any favors by this decision. Their reasoning is too gray- where will a line be drawn? While I struggle with the political implications and court rulings, my most alarming concern is for this woman, known by the news story only as "Madame M."
Her religious beliefs are not merely a decision she made- it is the result of hundreds of years of enculturation that cannot be easily separated from who she is. Who are we to say she must remove her veil? While I do not agree with the need to cover a woman's face by wearing a veil, I do not believe that simply saying, "You cannot wear the veil" will help the situation. The issue is much deeper and routed in the heart. She wears the veil because her husband says it is for her protection and she believes it- how might she feel if told she can't wear it? Granted, she may deeply desire to remove the veil but wears it out of submission to her husband. In my mind this means that the husband, not his wife, has not assimilated into French culture; yet he is a citizen. This decision to deny citizenship was meant to protect the values of French society when it all it has done was take away her right to choose.
Another issue I have is their view on submission. Keith and I actually discussed this the other day, when he asked me how I felt when we disagree on something, but I choose to submit. He actually phrased it like this: "If you were talking to a girlfriend who doesn't believe in submission to her husband, how do you explain why you do?" (or something very similar to that).
My response was that I believe wholeheartedly that a wife should submit to her husband as unto the Lord. Does that mean that a wife is a doormat? Absolutely not. Does that mean that a wife is a little mouse who never has an opinion? Nope. It actually saddens me a great deal that the world has taught women that submission is a dirty word. That we must be independent and fight the chains of oppression. Hogwash.
I will start with submission to the Lord before I talk about husbands, etc. Why do we submit to the Lord? It is usually my pride that makes me stumble in this area; I think I know better than God about what will make me happy and give me joy. But I don't; only He knows what will give me life abundant. So, when I submit to him I am laying aside pride and seeking him with humility because I trust that He is in control and that He desires my good. I may not understand why God does what He does, but I trust in His character and His love for me.
When it comes to Keith it is the same way. We may no see eye-to-eye, but I trust completely that he loves me and desires good for me. So I submit. It is not a curse to do so, but a blessing. Jesus tells us, "Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). This is foolishness to the world. They cannot understand it. But it is truth.
How does this relate to the Madame M? Should she submit to her husband? God tells us that to submit is a blessing. I don't know the answer for Madame M, but I will be praying for her and her husband. There is a lot more at stake then just her citizenship.
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