Ok, first of all, if that’s the most absurd analogy you’ve ever come across, I’m going to assume that you’ve been very sheltered. Secondly, I said it reminded me of it. The state has ultimate authority over it’s people (let’s look at this from a practical, realistic perspective). We are talking about laws that are currently being passed, not those from the 1600’s. The law in question concerns covering the face, not the hair. Covering the face is an entirely different issue, and has been foreign to French culture.
When I said it reminded me of a child lashing out at a parent, the state takes the role of the parent, and the citizen that of the child. The state issued a ruling for the citizen to follow. The citizen takes the most literal approach, and opts for something that not only acts as a slap in the face to the authority of the state, but attempts to undermine it’s ruling by going around that ruling and finding what they deem the best alternative. Now, what you are assuming is that I find some fault with the citizen that does this, you are incorrect. However, the actions they have taken I find to be a reflection of this. It’s a power struggle. Those women who wear the medical mask are trying to “one up,” the state and flaunt their rebellion.
Medical masks are worn to protect from biological infections. They’re worn to protect your immune system. These women do not wear these because they are preventing illness from being contracted, or spread. It’s a misuse of something with a clear role, and thus will garner only more anger because of it’s misuse.
The problem here is that these women are not just associating this ban with their religion, they view it as a slight against their ego. It becomes a slam against themselves as a person, not against what they believe. It becomes a power struggle based solely on that ego. They are not fighting for religion, they are fighting for their self expression. They cannot differentiate between the state’s ruling on religion, so it becomes a ruling against them. This is why they are doing it. It’s simply a reflection of their arrogance. Do you see how much pleasure people find in this? Some are positively giddy over these women flaunting this rebellion. It’s immature, and does nothing more than fuel more animosity toward them, and by extension, Islam and Muslims as a whole.
That’s not to say we should abandon fighting against clear injustice against Muslims (or any person), but we need to really rethink our priorities. The niqab is a very minor issue in the grander scheme of French society, and indeed, the global society. There are a myriad of problems that should take greater precedence, but people get so hung up on their self importance that we will continually ignore the bigger picture, and waste our time worrying about a piece of cloth.
Consider the consequences of flaunting rebellion, and consider the price you’re willing to pay for a smaller issue. Quit fighting against the minor issues, and deal with the root problem instead. Minor victories remain minor until the battle ends. This shouldn’t be a war, but pride fuels too many people into escalating these small disagreements into one.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a fight solely for Islam.