Burqa bans
"It's about making Muslim women invisible"
© Asma Aiad
As in other European countries before, a "burqa ban" has now been issued in Switzerland. But do you really want to strengthen Muslim women? An interview with Menerva Hammad.
BRIGITTE.de: What is the burqa ban in Switzerland about?
Menerva Hammad: In Austria, where I grew up, a so-called masking ban was passed in 2017. So I know: it's about making Muslim women invisible. Now many opponents of the Burka will say: But they are already invisible!
And what do you reply to them?
They are invisible because they are made invisible. Who actually asked these 30 or so women who wear burqas or nikab in Switzerland why they do it? Nobody. You don't even get to speak for yourself. It's like when straight people decide whether gay marriage is a good idea. That's absurd! People determine the life of another group to which they themselves do not belong and about which they know little.
Not only rights, but also feminists are in favor of burqa bans.
In Switzerland it was a democratic vote under the guise of feminism that says: We women want to be visible. We grow up in the West that it is anti-feminist to cover up and that wearing a headscarf is a sign of oppression. The following applies here: the more of her that can be seen, the more liberated a woman is.
Is that not true?
I once met an American woman who wore a Nikab and asked her about it. She was educated and single and said: "I do not want to compete with other women, I do not want to show whether I am fat or thin, I do not want to worry about make-up and fashion. This means I escape the pressure and competition because I am not judged by my appearance. I create a limit for myself, a privacy. But I see everything myself.
What effects does the burqa ban have on Muslim women in Switzerland?
If you think about it further, the consequences are catastrophic. Assuming a woman is really forced to wear nikab by her husband, what happens to her now? Will she be allowed to go out in a bikini now? No, she won't be allowed out at all, not even to go shopping. If she really is in a toxic relationship, she no longer has a place to go. But I bet that many of the 30 or so women affected are Swiss converted.
So a burqa ban is not the solution to empower Muslim women.
The solution would be. that every girl and woman has access to education and work so that they can be financially independent. If she can stand on her own two feet, she can always walk away and free herself from toxic relationships.
Do you sometimes wear Nikab yourself?
No, I wear a hijab, a kind of headscarf, and sometimes a turban, in other words: I cover my hair, but not my face. It's convenient because I don't have to style or straighten my hair every day, it looks good and it's part of my identity. I lived a lot abroad and was often treated as a "foreigner" there. For me, the hijab is also an anchor in my identity.
Born in Egypt, Menerva Hammad grew up in Vienna and currently lives in Abu Dhabi. She is a freelance journalist, bestselling author and mother of two daughters. Her topics are women as mothers, female sexuality and Muslim women in Europe. In her touching book "We meet in the middle of the world – A lack of acceptance in society and strong women", impressive women have their say. She runs the Hotel Mama blog and can be found on Instagram under kakaotschifrau.