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‘The Way People Look at Us Has Changed’: Muslim Women on Life in Europe | ‘The Way People Look at Us Has Changed’: Muslim Women on Life in Europe |
(1 day later) | |
The storm over bans on burkinis in more than 30 French beach towns has all but drowned out the voices of Muslim women, for whom the full-body swimsuits were designed. The New York Times solicited their perspective, and the responses — more than 1,000 comments from France, Belgium and beyond — went much deeper than the question of swimwear. | The storm over bans on burkinis in more than 30 French beach towns has all but drowned out the voices of Muslim women, for whom the full-body swimsuits were designed. The New York Times solicited their perspective, and the responses — more than 1,000 comments from France, Belgium and beyond — went much deeper than the question of swimwear. |
What emerged was a portrait of life as a Muslim woman, veiled or not, in parts of Europe where terrorism has put people on edge. One French term was used dozens of times: “un combat,” or “a struggle,” to live day to day. Many who were born and raised in France described confusion at being told to go home. | What emerged was a portrait of life as a Muslim woman, veiled or not, in parts of Europe where terrorism has put people on edge. One French term was used dozens of times: “un combat,” or “a struggle,” to live day to day. Many who were born and raised in France described confusion at being told to go home. |
Courts have struck down some of the bans on burkinis — the one in Nice, the site of a horrific terror attack on Bastille Day, was overturned on Thursday — but the debate is far from over. | Courts have struck down some of the bans on burkinis — the one in Nice, the site of a horrific terror attack on Bastille Day, was overturned on Thursday — but the debate is far from over. |
“For years, we have had to put up with dirty looks and threatening remarks,” wrote Taslima Amar, 30, a teacher in Pantin, a suburb of Paris. “I’ve been asked to go back home (even though I am home).” Now, Ms. Amar said, she and her husband were looking to leave France. | “For years, we have had to put up with dirty looks and threatening remarks,” wrote Taslima Amar, 30, a teacher in Pantin, a suburb of Paris. “I’ve been asked to go back home (even though I am home).” Now, Ms. Amar said, she and her husband were looking to leave France. |
Laurie Abouzeir, 32, said she was considering starting a business caring for children in her home in Toulouse, southern France, because that would allow her to wear a head scarf, frowned upon and even banned in some workplaces. | Laurie Abouzeir, 32, said she was considering starting a business caring for children in her home in Toulouse, southern France, because that would allow her to wear a head scarf, frowned upon and even banned in some workplaces. |
Many women wrote that anti-Muslim bias had intensified after the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January 2015, and in Brussels, Paris and Nice more recently. Halima Djalab Bouguerra, a 21-year-old student in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, dated the change further back, to the killings by Mohammed Merah in the southwest of the country in 2012. | Many women wrote that anti-Muslim bias had intensified after the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January 2015, and in Brussels, Paris and Nice more recently. Halima Djalab Bouguerra, a 21-year-old student in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, dated the change further back, to the killings by Mohammed Merah in the southwest of the country in 2012. |
“The way people look at us has changed,” Ms. Bouguerra wrote. “Tongues have loosened. No one is afraid of telling a Muslim to ‘go back home’ anymore.” | “The way people look at us has changed,” Ms. Bouguerra wrote. “Tongues have loosened. No one is afraid of telling a Muslim to ‘go back home’ anymore.” |
Here are some excerpts from the comments we received. They have been condensed and edited for clarity, and translated for those who wrote in French. | Here are some excerpts from the comments we received. They have been condensed and edited for clarity, and translated for those who wrote in French. |
— Dina Srouji, 23, Lebbeke, Belgium. Student and student reporter at the University of Gent. Instagram: @dindinsr | — Dina Srouji, 23, Lebbeke, Belgium. Student and student reporter at the University of Gent. Instagram: @dindinsr |
— Hajer Zennou, 27, Lyon, France. Designer. She was referring to a woman who was surrounded by police officers on a beach in Nice. | — Hajer Zennou, 27, Lyon, France. Designer. She was referring to a woman who was surrounded by police officers on a beach in Nice. |
— Charlotte Monnier, 23, Toulouse, France. Architecture student. | — Charlotte Monnier, 23, Toulouse, France. Architecture student. |
— Samia Fekih, 36, Paris. Digital project manager. | — Samia Fekih, 36, Paris. Digital project manager. |
— Nawal Afkir, 25, Brussels | — Nawal Afkir, 25, Brussels |
— Souad el Bouchihati, 26, Gouda, the Netherlands. Social worker. | — Souad el Bouchihati, 26, Gouda, the Netherlands. Social worker. |
— Hadjira Skoundri, 22, Toulouse, France. Administrative agent in the local government. | — Hadjira Skoundri, 22, Toulouse, France. Administrative agent in the local government. |
— Mira Hassine, 27, Orléans, France. Administrator at a construction company and a practicing Muslim who does not wear a veil. | — Mira Hassine, 27, Orléans, France. Administrator at a construction company and a practicing Muslim who does not wear a veil. |
— Karima Mondon, 37. French teacher who recently moved to Casablanca, Morocco, from Lyon, France. | — Karima Mondon, 37. French teacher who recently moved to Casablanca, Morocco, from Lyon, France. |
— Saima Ashraf, 39, London. Twitter: @saimaashraf25 | — Saima Ashraf, 39, London. Twitter: @saimaashraf25 |
— Linda Alem, 27, Paris. Nurse at a dialysis center. | — Linda Alem, 27, Paris. Nurse at a dialysis center. |
— Nora Mahboub, 21, Paris. Engineering student. | — Nora Mahboub, 21, Paris. Engineering student. |
— Siam Ferhat-Basset, 29, Drancy, France. Former receptionist. | — Siam Ferhat-Basset, 29, Drancy, France. Former receptionist. |
— Saadia Akessour, 31, Liège, Belgium. Stay-at-home mother who had to remove her veil during a midwifery internship and has since abandoned her studies. | — Saadia Akessour, 31, Liège, Belgium. Stay-at-home mother who had to remove her veil during a midwifery internship and has since abandoned her studies. |
— Fadoua Hachimi, 41, Les Lilas, France. Purchasing assistant. | — Fadoua Hachimi, 41, Les Lilas, France. Purchasing assistant. |
— Nadia Lamarti, 35, Zellik, Belgium. Mother of four daughters who has trained as a social worker. | — Nadia Lamarti, 35, Zellik, Belgium. Mother of four daughters who has trained as a social worker. |
— Assia Boukhelifa, 22, Lille. Political science student. | — Assia Boukhelifa, 22, Lille. Political science student. |
— Ennaji Loubna, 30, Perpignan, France. Studying for a master’s in sociology. | — Ennaji Loubna, 30, Perpignan, France. Studying for a master’s in sociology. |
— Khadija Manouach, 29, Brussels. Teacher in an elementary school. | — Khadija Manouach, 29, Brussels. Teacher in an elementary school. |
— Sarah Nahal, 24, Grenoble, France. Student in economics and management. | |
— Nadia Benabdelkader, 25, Roubaix, France. Student. | — Nadia Benabdelkader, 25, Roubaix, France. Student. |