Muslim women’s rights are also women’s rights

Recently, for the first time, the women’s rights committee of the European Parliament discussed the situation of Muslim women in Europe, including dress restrictions and how recent developments have undermined women’s rights. A collective of more than 100 Muslim women are responding by calling for a real European model of inclusion and pluralism that ensures everyone can have access to employment and education and that doesn’t place an extra burden on women.

According to a recent report by the Open Society Justice Initiative, nearly one in three EU member states have placed legal restrictions on Muslim women’s dress at either local or national level. In addition, bans on headscarves and other Muslim women’s dress by both businesses and public institutions have been increasingly reported in nearly half of the EU countries. This has resulted in preventing these women from accessing jobs. How can this be seriously reconciled with EU principles of non-discrimination and gender equality?

However, there is hope for an inclusive Europe as in most countries, proposals for legal bans have been rejected either by legislators or by the courts. This means that there are many people fighting back against attempts to stigmatise and discriminate against Muslim women, including strong civil society campaigns.

This is all the more important as analysis shows that many of these bans on religious dress, although framed as though they apply to all religious groups equally, in fact clearly and visibly target Muslim women. Indeed, restrictions are often adopted after heated debates on Muslim women’s dress and the presence of Muslims in Europe. The ‘neutrality’ argument is used frequently only as an attempt to legally discriminate against Muslim women. In addition, many far-right parties are increasingly pushing for these bans, using Islamophobic discourses.

While neutrality remains a key principle for our societies, we cannot disconnect its current usage and restrictive policies from the context of generalised suspicion against Muslims, the disproportionate impact of these restrictions on women and the structural dimension of exclusion which has an impact on other areas of life and on how society perceives Muslim women.

It is crucial to be politically bold and embrace diversity by ensuring that all can contribute to our societies with their multiple identities. Inclusive and positive approaches need to be chosen over exclusion and limitations on fundamental rights. This will be a powerful way to counter the most xenophobic parties gaining power in several European countries.

There are already many positive examples of both private and public employers that have made the choice of inclusion and that are increasingly influencing policy and legal developments in different EU countries. We hope countries and private entities which have adopted a restrictive approach will now follow suit.

EU member states should assess the specific effects of rules on religious dress in public and private institutions on Muslim women. They should also ensure that practices and policies promote fully inclusive workplaces, places of education and public spaces, including by rejecting any new proposals to ban religious clothing in employment and institutions. Why has it been so hard so far to choose inclusion over exclusion in support of women’s emancipation?

In the face of the worrying situation of exclusion targeting a specific group of women in Europe, the European Parliament’s discussion supports the broader feminist solidarity with Muslim women that is gaining ground in Europe. At a time when Muslim women are also victims of violent sexist and racist attacks, we need to acknowledge that the structural discrimination they experience is feeding into racism and sexism.


Signatories:

1. Julie Pascoët, European Network against Racism
2. Lila Charef, Collective against Islamophobia in France
3. Chafika Attalai, Collective against Islamophobia in Belgium
4. Rokhaya Diallo (France)
5. Arzu Merali, Islamic Human Rights Commission
6. Marianne Vorthoren, Stichting Platform Islamitische Organisaties Rijnmond (Netherlands)
7. Ikrame Faris, Stichting Platform Islamitische Organisaties Rijnmond (Netherlands)
8. Siham Harcha, Stichting Platform Islamitische Organisaties Rijnmond (Netherlands)
9. Rhariba Tlaqui, Stichting Platform Islamitische Organisaties Rijnmond (Netherlands)
10. Berna Toprak
11. Kahina Rabahi, European Network of Religion and Belief
12. Layla Azzouzi, Collective against Islamophobia in Belgium
13. Esmaa Alariachi, Al Nisa (Netherlands)
14. Saida Derrazi, Emcemo and Collective against Islamophobia and Discrimination (Netherlands)
15. Nawal Mustafa
16. Nadia Khedachi, Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations
17. Hajar El Jahidi, European Forum of Muslim Women
18. Hande Taner, Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations
19. Ndella Paye
20. Ibtissam Abaaziz, Stichting Meld Islamofobie (Netherlands)
21. Hiba Latreche, Etudiants Musulmans de France
22. Hassiba Kechiche, Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations
23. Camilya Othmani
24. Dr. Lara-Zuzan Golesorkhi, With or without
25. Nora Akachar
26. Esra Farag-Nous, Women United
27. Olga Vos
28. Nesrine Tanane, The Beautyness
29. Loubna Bouzaidi
30. Saloua Assegaf
31. Sandra Doevendans, Hollandse Liedfe (Netherlands)
32. Rahma Esther Bavelaar, Stichting Meld Islamofobie (Netherlands)
33. Jamila Faloun
34. Jennifer Nowe, Collectif Les Cannelles (Belgium)
35. Ihsane Haouach, Collectif Les Cannelles (Belgium)
36. Ibtissam Mossaoui
37. Najoua Admi
38. Horia El Ghanouti, Al Nisa (Netherlands)
39. Angela Alaidrus, Al Nisa (Netherlands)
40. Hanane Idlamine, Collectif Les Cannelles (Belgium)
41. Ibtissa El Adlouni
42. Sandra Iman Pertek, European Forum of Muslim Women
43. Ouafa Lakhal, European Forum of Muslim Women
44. Mahinur Ozdemir, Collectif Les Cannelles (Belgium)
45. Houraye Sakho
46. Kim Lecoyer, Karamah EU
47. Fadoua Falloun
48. Mirjam Laafou
49. Nadia Aknouch
50. Fatima Akchar
51. Fatin Kichouhi
52. Rabiaa El Ousrouti
53. Jasmina Faloun
54. Sara Kichouhi
55. Imane Kichouhi
56. Manaar Faloun
57. Soundous Oulkadi
58. Nermin Abdellatief
59. Samira Bettah
60. Hind Shouli
61. Meredith Hoogwoud
62. F.Z Achelhi
63. Jamila El Arkoubi
64. Gizlan Zariohi
65. Mariam Amzaiab, Stichting Platform Islamitische Organisaties Rijnmond (Netherlands)
66. Mehtap Konuksever
67. Karima Aberkan
68. Soumaya Aanzi, Hijab Sensation
69. Joany Gourari Dahlmans, Muslima Matters
70. Dionne Abdoelhafiezkhan, IZI Solutions
71. Alaa Al Khalili
72. Aziza Friguech
73. Dalila Elouarti
74. Zainab Marrakchi, Muslimska Kvinnoföreningen (Sweden) and European Forum of Muslim Women
75. Naziha Bettah
76. Belkaj Najat
77. Suzan Affara
78. Mariam Zarioh
79. Rebecca Duqueh, Collectif Les Cannelles (Belgium)
80. Sarah Izat
81. Hanane Abouellotfi
82. Fatiha Azzarhouni
83. Fatiha Azzerhouni, Universiteit Leiden (Netherlands)
84. Rachel Johns
85. Devika Partiman, Stem op een vrouw
86. Nadia Es Saghouani
87. Oujdane Ibn Lkassem
88. Saida Ait Haddou Ali
89. Houda Riffi Acharki
90. Mariam Annali
91. Samira El Mhassani
92. Nadia El Boutayebi
93. Malika Hamidi
94. Sakina Ghani, Resisters
95. Hanan Amer, Amal Women Association Ireland
96. Nor Nasib, Amal Women Association Ireland
97. Najet Halfaoui, Amal Women Association Ireland
98. Amel Yacef, Amal Women Association Ireland
99. Kate O’Connel, Amal Women Association Ireland
100. Bayane Ahmadi
101. Malia Bouattia, Committee Justice and Liberties (France)
102. Maz Saleem, Stand up to Trump
103. Zara Sultana, MEND (United Kingdom)
104. Nafisa Bakkar, Amaliah
105. Selina Bakkar, Amaliah