Mit Kopftuch

"This isn't a ban on a symbol. It's a ban on our religious freedom. Wearing a hijab is part of how we practice our faith," (a demonstrator in Paris)
The present debate around the head scarf (hijab) ban is deeply influenced by racist sentiments towards Muslim women and reflects the strong anti-Islamic attitudes of those with political responsibility. This ban leads down the extremely dangerous road to the criminalisation of religious practice. The supposition that under every hijab a female victim of her male relatives is hidden, or even a terrorist hostile to democracy, these are part of widespread prejudices aiming to incite fear and hostility towards Muslim people. The current debate on banning head scarves only serves to stir up emotions.

The around 3 million Muslims living in Germany, particularly those women wearing head scarves or so-called „Arab-looking men, have been forced to see themselves as pariahs of society and targets of over generalized suspicions. Many react with fear and withdrawal.

No wonder: The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) holds the “anti-terror laws” passed after September 11th to be responsible for an increase in racist mobbing and attacks on Muslims throughout the EU.

In public discussions Muslim women are now directly taken to symbolise ‘fundamentalism’ or as a leading Christian Democratic Party spokesperson and Minister, Ms. Schavan, supposes, their use of the head scarf reflects a cultural and a civilisational segregation’ that forcedly leads to a disintegrational effect.

Muslim school-children, teachers or even saleswomen, who, on the basis of their belief, wear a hijab are looked down upon, ridiculed and isolated. In the career ladder, adult Muslim women can only avail of minimum income jobs, as they are not tolerated at higher level jobs. Muslim women wearing head scarves can apparently not be allowed to become teachers, or take up positions that require the wearing of uniforms. Though at present primarily Muslim women have had to bear the brunt of being targeted in debates on the banning of head scarves, in future, such a ban once established will not be able to avoid legalising the exclusion of Sikhs or Jews from many job sectors.

The Berlin Senate Representative for Integration and Migration, Günter Piening, has expressed his opinion on the debate in the following words: „The (current) debate is indeed typically German. This becomes obvious particularly when noticing the underlying messages given. People start out talking about the head scarf, but immediately end up with Islam, and after all Islam generally symbolizes everything alien. Any debate on the topic of immigration focuses on the head scarf. It seems that everybody’s fears are projected on this small piece of clothing. (...) There are so many reasons for wearing a scarf. Old women wear it on account of their traditions and their memories of home. Younger women do not necessarily wear the piece of cloth as a religious symbol, but in order to express their identity, to reflect a type of youth culture. (...) The only real discriminatory practice is brought about by the ban on head scarves itself: due to such a ban women again would be forced to suppress their own perspective on life. (Interview in the Berliner Zeitung, October 27th, 2003).
As the renowned social scientist Birgit Rommelspacher points out, „the paradox in this case lies in the fact that a women is prevented from practicing her profession, and this in the name of her own emancipation. The demand for freedom now serves to legitimise oppression.“ And she also points out „Why, if the equality of all people is seen to be a top priority, is there no outcry throughout the country, when the Christian churches are about to endanger the passing of the anti-discrimination law, as they wish to exclude religion from being established as forming part of the legal matter of discrimination practice – an interpretation which lies contrary to EU-guidelines.“(TAZ, July 18th, 2003)
For this reason, in January 2004, ReachOut has initiated an alliance for the organization of an international forum against the head scarf ban. Besides ReachOut, organizations such as IDFAD (Immigrants and Germans for Anti-Discrimination), Inssan, Linksruck und the Students Council (AStA) of the Humboldt University, as well as some committed individuals have become part of this initiative.

As a first step towards building a nation-wide campaign, the Forum is organizing an international conference on the 11th of September 2004 in Berlin.

We are conscious of the fact that public debates on the issue of the head scarf have already taken place in Berlin and elsewhere in the country. Arguments for and against a ban have also previously been formulated and discussed. Nevertheless, up to now, the organizers of such events have omitted looking beyond a national or even a Berliner horizon. We realize, however, from our lengthy political experience, how enlightening it can be to ask experts from other countries to enrich the “typically German” debate and to give new impulses and arguments in this struggle against a ban on head scarves. We also wish to point out that we are less concerned about simply reflecting all possible positions or arguments in existence for or against the hijab.

We are also aware of the fact that only a Europe-wide movement against racist religious discrimination in general and against Muslims in particular, we will be able to establish the rights of women to wear hijab.

Hence the forum will actively participate in other similar efforts and initiatives spread all over Germany as well as across European Union States to facilitate a successful EU-wide campaign against religious discrimination