The Experiences of Face Veil Wearers in Europe and the Law
Eva Brems
Cambridge University Press Academic 2016
One of the most remarkable aspects pertaining to the legal bans and societal debates on the face veil in Europe is that they rely on assumptions which lack any factual basis. To rectify this, Eva Brems researched the experiences of women who wear a face veil in Belgium and brought her research results together with those of colleagues who did the same in four other European countries. Their findings, which are outlined in this volume, move the current discussion on face veil bans forward by providing a much-needed insider perspective. In addition, a number of legal and social science scholars comment on the empirical findings and on the face veil issue more generally.
- Provides readers with an exceptional and unique insight into the experiences of face veil wearers in Europe
- Discusses and compares the lived realities of women who wear the face veil as well as the legal situation in several European countries
- Offers multiple perspectives on the topic via scholars from various disciplines who have engaged with the results of the empirical research
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the volume Eva Brems
Part I. Wearing the Face Veil in Europe:
2. Face veiling in The Netherlands: public debates and women’s narratives Annelies Moors
3. Niqabis in Denmark: when politicians ask for a qualitative and quantitative profiling of a very small and elusive sub-culture Kate Østergaard, Margit Warburg and Birgitte Schepelern Johansen
4. The Belgian ‘Burqa ban’ confronted with insider realities Eva Brems, Yaiza Janssens, Kim Lecoyer, Saïla Ouald Chaib, Victoria Vandersteen and Jogchum Vrielink
5. France vs England Naima Bouteldja
Part II. Debating the Face Veil:
6. Insider perspectives and the human rights debate on face veil bans Emmanuelle Bribosia and Isabelle Rorive
7. Symptomatic symbolism: banning the face veil ‘as a symbol’ Jogchum Vrielink
8. Bas les masques! Unveiling Muslim women on behalf of the protection of public order: reflections on the legal controversies around a novel definition of ‘public order’ used to ban full-face covering in France Rim-Sarah Alouane
9. Islamic veil bans: the gender equality justification and empirical evidence Erica Howard
10. Women’s oppression and face veil bans: a feminist assessment Dolores Morondo Taramundi
11. The return of a persecuting society? Criminalising facial veils in Europe Maleiha Malik
12. Asserting state sovereignty: the face veil ban in Belgium Nadia Fadil
13. The performativity of face veil controversies across Europe Schirin Amir-Moazami
14. Proscribing unveiling – law a chimera and an instrument in the political agenda Susan S. M. Edwards.
Editor
Eva Brems, Universiteit Gent, Belgium
Eva Brems is a Professor of Human Rights Law at the Human Rights Centre, Ghent University, Belgium, where her research covers most areas of human rights law with a specific interest in minority issues and women’s rights.
Contributors
Eva Brems, Annelies Moors, Kate Østergaard, Margit Warburg, Birgitte Schepelern Johansen, Yaiza Janssens, Kim Lecoyer, Saïla Ouald Chaib, Victoria Vandersteen, Jogchum Vrielink, Naima Bouteldja, Emmanuelle Bribosia, Isabelle Rorive, Jogchum Vrielink, Rim-Sarah Alouane, Erica Howard, Dolores Morondo Taramundi, Maleiha Malik, Nadia Fadil, Schirin Amir-Moazami, Susan S. M. Edwards