In France it is illegal to wear a burqa or niqab (veil) in a public space and, whilst hijabs (head scarfs) can be worn in public, they cannot be worn in government buildings, including schools and universities.

Public officials such as teachers, government workers, and barristers are also barred from wearing any overt symbol of their religion while they are at work.

The rules stem from the constitutional principle of secularism in France, known as ‘laïcité’ and relies on the division between private life, where advocates believe religion belongs, and the public sphere. To some people wearing the scarf can symbolise a woman's submission to men. 

A documentary film called Marianne was premiered at the Broadway Theatre in Barking, east London to a packed audience on 9 March as part of ‘Women’s Empowerment Month’. The film follows seven French Muslim women and challenges the idea presented by much of the media and politicians of the ‘submissive’ Muslim woman.

One of the women, Cllr Saima Ashraf moved to the UK 18 years ago and is now Deputy Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council.

In the film, Cllr Ashraf, who chooses to wear a hijab, explains how ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’, the national motto of France, actually isn’t what Muslim women in France experience; in fact, she feels much freer and more equal in the UK, where her choice to wear the hijab at work is accepted and embraced. 

Cllr Ashraf said: “In France, the state’s version of secularism – laïcité – has been used to justify the exclusion and discrimination of Muslim women, including those who choose to wear the hijab. As a Muslim woman who grew up in France, it is heartening to see a film like Marianne challenge these harmful stereotypes and show the reality of our experiences.

“I am proud to be part of this project and to share my story in the hope that it will inspire others to speak out against discrimination and for the right of all women to choose how they express their faith.”

In France, it isn’t just the far right who take a strong stance on hijabs. In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling centrist party barred a Muslim candidate from running in a local election after she was photographed wearing a hijab for a campaign poster.

Is it submissive to wear a head covering?

Politicians from various French political parties cite the suppression of women as one of their reasons for supporting a ban on veils (in public) and headscarves (in government buildings). Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy suggested he is in favour of banning hijabs in public because they are a “symbol of the subjugation of women”.

But do the women who choose to wear the hijab feel suppressed? ‘Marianne’ follows the lives of seven Muslim women, some who chose to wear the scarf and some not; the intimate film explores the stereotypes they must contend within France’s context of ‘laïcité’. If women are being told that they cannot wear a hijab, when they have freely chosen that they want to do so, is it actually the state which is suppressing them?

Director of the film Valentina Canavesio explains: “I made Marianne to challenge what sadly is too often the discourse about Muslim women in the context of French media and politics. That of a monolithic and submissive group in need of liberation. I hope the film challenges this view through the portraits of its protagonists and makes the viewer question their own beliefs about laïcité, feminism and liberty.”

Another of the film’s subjects, opera singer Narimène Bey continues: “When Valentina asked me if I wanted to be a part of the project, I said ‘yes’. It just felt right. I knew that it would help the voices of people like me to be finally heard, loud and clear.” Narimène treated the audience to a surprise performance after the film.

The documentary screening was followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion and Q&A. ‘Marianne’ Director Valentina Canavesio, Cllr Ashraf and opera singer Narimène Bey answered questions from the packed audience on the film itself and their lives. Both Cllr Ashraf and Narimène spoke passionately about the experiences they have as Muslim women who choose to wear hijab in France; they also talked about the warm welcome they have received in the UK, with Narimène, who still lives in France, lamenting that she sadly encounters islamophobia regularly in her home country in comparison to the inclusive and welcoming feel in London. 

You can view the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/368190598