The issue of human oppression brings up images of Africa, the Middle East, or some third-world

country. We normally don’t associate it with a modern, developed, and democratic nation.
France claims to be an open and free society, founded on the principles of liberty, equality, and
fraternity. Yet, in reality, over five million of its people are under oppression each day. The five
million represent the number of Muslims currently living in France.

Xenophobia is on the rise in France, to the point where one in seven french will admit to being a
little racist and politicians are no longer wary of criticizing minority groups, especially Muslims.

In the 21st century, there has been a flood of new cultures coming into France. Visible
minorities now make up more than 15 percent of the population. Many French citizens are
worried that the authentic French culture and identity is disappearing under this new wave of
immigrants. In fact, Claude Guéant, the Minister of the Interior, has said that the French no
longer feel at home in their own country due to uncontrolled immigration. He went on to say that
the growing number of Muslims was a serious problem to the nation.

Out of all the immigrant groups, Muslims have faced the most opposition. Suicide bombers in
the Middle East give people the impression, that ordinary Muslims in France are somehow
connected to terrorism. Muslims are seen as the troublemakers in society, and studies confirm
that in general, the French believe Muslims are more likely to commit crime.

Of course, these beliefs aren’t necessarily true. Kinaz Dicko, who was born to Muslim
immigrant parents, describes the all too common scenario, “There is a security alert. There are
new rumors about Muslim militants, and a few arrests. And immediately we are all tarred with
the same brush: terrorism.”

Zaima Dendoune, who teaches religion at a mosque school, agrees that “We are proud Muslims
equal to being proud French. One thing we are not is terrorists.”

Unfortunately, in a society plagued by Islamophobia, what they say is disregarded and ignored.
The French society instead are drawn to powerful and charismatic leaders, such as Marine Le
Pen, who stands at the forefront of the anti-Islamic movement.

Marine Le Pen is the new leader of the Front Nation party, France’s ultra-conservative, far right
political party. It has suffered in popularity over the past few years, but under her guidance, it
has experienced a sudden revival. A major source of its success is its new policy, a very tough
stance on Islam.

Le Pen has managed to capitalize on the trend of casual racism sweeping across the nation.
She warned that Islam was a threat to the economy, security, and culture of France. She even
went as far to compare Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation. Despite the
severity of her comments, her popularity is sky high.
In the first round of the local elections, the Front National was able to achieve a historic result. It
tied with the Union for a Popular Movement party that Nicolas Sarkozy belongs to. If these
results are any indicator of the future, then Sarkozy will be facing a tough opponent in the 2012
presidential elections.

In response to Le Pen’s popularity, Sarkozy’s own policies have taken an increasingly anti-
Islamic tone. On April 12th, 2011, the French government placed a ban on wearing traditional
Muslim clothing. The burqa, which is the full-length body veil, has now become illegal to wear in
public.

Sarkozy claims that he created this act in order to free women from their oppressive and
restrictive customs, but this reason is only an outside excuse. He argues that women are
pressured by their husbands and wear the veil against their will, but in reality, many women
wear it by their own decision. Chrystelle Khedrouche, who has been a devout Muslim for many
years, explains that, “I have made the choice not to be unveiled, so to force me to unveil -- that’s
not freedom.”

Other women also agree that, “Wearing the burqa was something I chose to do. It was entirely
my own decision and nothing to do with my husband or anybody else.”

Dilshod Achilov, who is an expert on the Middle East, explains Sarkozy’s more likely reason
behind this move, “According to recent polls, Sarkozy’s party is losing ground to a far National
Front party. Therefore, Sarkozy has brought more issues against Islam to appeal to French
voters.”

Basically, Sarkozy wants to save his presidential campaign. He is scared of Le Pen’s

popularity, and to bring the French back to his side, he passed this law to prove that is fighting
aginst the threat of Islam. His approach is working, and surveys show that more than 4 to 1 of
the country backs this move.

Muslims, however, are determined to fight for fairness and equality. In the first few days of the
ban’s enactment, over twenty women have worn their burqas in public protest. This number
keeps on growing despite the risk of being arrested or paying fines.

Kenza Drider has been arrested twice, threatened on the streets, and has even received death
notes, but she has no plans to stop her protest. She says, “Nothing can stop me from living the
way I want. If a few women want to wear full veils, they should be allowed to do so.”

“We have to show people exactly how we feel about this ban. It’s no good just moaning about it
-- we have to do something.”

Even though we live far away, we can still fight this act. As Americans, we may think the burqa
ban is a France-only problem, but racism is a universal problem. Part of our moral responsibility
is to fight for freedom and equality all over the world. As a group, we need to show the French
government our disapproval. We need to tell them that the ban is a violation of human rights
and goes against the values of freedom that France was founded on. The best way to do this is
to write to the French embassy located in Washington D.C. The address is:

4101 Reservoir Road

N.W. Washington D.C. 20007

Voicing our disapproval will help draw attention to the issue, especially to people who were
previously unaware of the events happening in France. The issue is too big to keep to
ourselves, and our efforts grow stronger when people around us join in and send in their own
opinions.

Out letters also offer moral support to the Muslims back in France. They find encouragement in
knowing that people outside of their country and outside their religion stand on their side, so
they have the strength to carry on.

Ultimately, the goal is for the French government to repeal the burqa ban. This plan is very
ambitious, and writing to the embassy does not seem nearly enough. Fortunately, we aren’t
alone in our efforts. People around the world are already working together to fight this act.
Journalists, professors, historians, and political experts from multiple countries have publicly
criticized the ban. Even foreign governments have joined in. Damian Green, who is the
immigration minister in Britain, has ruled out a similar ban in his country. He argues that “telling
people what they can or can’t wear, if they’re just walking down the street, is a very un-British
thing to do.”

Furthermore, protests have been happening all the world since the start of the ban. People in
Britain have demonstrated in front of the French embassy building, and there have been similar
movements going on in countries from Croatia to Pakistan to Bangladesh. In writing to the
Embassy, we are not acting alone, but we belong to a larger, collective, international effort. It is
up to us, to the international community, to give them the extra push for them to achieve their
goal faster.

Doubters may say that racism is a part of human nature; fighting it is a lost cause, but this is the
worst kind of response to racism, to ignore it and let it go on as it is.

History has shown that defeating discrimination is possible. Think about Martin Luther King, Jr.
and his civil rights movement or Gandhi and his fight for Indian rights. Histories show societies
reforming and changing for the better. So please, help reform France. Do your part and write.