You point out an interesting point of conflict in this post: that legislation in different nations sometimes affects Muslims on a symbolic level. The hijab has come to mean many different things to the Westerner and Muslim alike. Challenging the right to wear the hijab is a challenge to many other religious rights and is also reminiscent of the colonialist behavior.
I was in Denmark in 2006 when the cartoons of Muhammad were published. To many Westerners, both the dispute over wearing the hijab and publishing the cartoons seem trivial. However, pulling the blinds on Europe and the United States would reveal an unwillingness to examine past action in the Middle East and to uncover exactly why these disputes are so volatile. In Denmark it would also, sadly, show an extreme misunderstanding of Muslim values and an increase in a form of nationalism that feels threatened by such foreign ideals. I would hope that the students you write about who are studying abroad are trying to bridge this gap and educate the West!
I really enjoyed reading your blog, and your perspective as a Saudi student!
Thank you,

Cecilia

The position taken by this blog is one I’ve never read on any blog emanating from a Muslim-majority state. I guess what you’re advocating is a strict “rule of law” approach to this.

And if there is a ban on wearing hijab in certain places, surely the solution is to avoid such places if you regard wearing the hijab as essential to your lifestyle.

Burgess is right: this is a different issue than hijab in French (public) secondary and elementary schools. Muslims may have a legitimate right to allow their children to wear hijab in public secondary and primary schools in France, but they should also understand the French culture and customs and if they can’t accept it don’t go there. Why do Westerners always have to accommodate but if they say “there are our cultural customs based on secular social contract” they get criticized as “Islamophobic”? I think the river flows both directions: when I am in the Arab world I respect the customs even if I find some of them disagreeable. Hiding behind the alleged righteousness of religious dogma doesn’t give people any more license to try to change other cultures than it would for secularists to try to impose secular Humanistic values and customs on cultures that reject them.

In a secular Humanistic society like Franch, orthodox Muslims are free to create their own religious private schools as long as they’re accredited and abide by the laws. That’s the beauty of a liberal society. Saudis in particular have no room to complain since their own society does not guarantee these rights to non-Muslims.