lation of Muslim girls' human rights. Others in the Muslim community and in other religious community view the legislation as either an attempt to maintain the separation of church and state and avoid possible discrimination against religiously oriented students, or as a rejection of the presence of a growing Muslim population in French public schools. However one interprets this law and its effects, Choudhury (3) asserts that it has stirred up a controversy that resonates not only with French people, but also with residents of other countries such as the United Kingdom.
The law disparately affects Muslim females but nevertheless has implications for all individuals who wear some outward sign or symbol of their religious beliefs.
In Great Britain, the BBC ("French Scarf Ban Comes into Focus," 1) reported that the law affects 12 million children in France. Given that the United Kingdom is also home to a growing number of Muslim students, the problem resonates with members of the general public and policymakers as well. BBC News ("Should France Repeal the Headscarf Ban?" 1) offered the British public an opportunity to weigh in on this issue in an online forum. Not surprisingly, most respondents argued against the headscarf ban, claiming that it was discriminatory and repressive. Some commented that the much-touted French ideal of freedom, equality, and liberty is directly threatened by such a ban. Others pointed out that hatred and ignorance as well as possible violence or discrimination directed against Muslims wearing a headscarf or veil are not caused by overt symbols of faith. These antagonisms arise from fear of what is different, a lack of understanding and a narrow-minded view that one's own religion or culture is superior to all others. The consensus emerging from the BBC poll was that a lack of tolerance for diversity as well as fears of possible threats against a Muslim minority were the major reasons for the...