Asmaa Chaudhry

Opinion: Hijab ban in France is another attempt to alienate Muslims

On March 30, the French Senate voted in favor of banning minors from wearing hijab in public spaces. The ban proposal is part of French President Emmanuel Macron’s vision of a “separatism bill,” which, according to Amnesty International, raises “serious concerns that the law will be applied in a discriminatory way.” Since its arrival, the proposal has evoked controversy within French borders and beyond — echoing France’s previous Islamophobic legislation and colonial past.