The Experiences of Face Veil Wearers in Europe and the Law

This book studies the experiences of face veil wearers in Europe and examines the ramifications of the empirical findings for legislative agendas.

Eva Brems (Edited by)

9781107058309, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 September 2014

324 pages, 5 b/w illus. 1 table
22.9 x 15 x 2.3 cm, 0.6 kg

"Brems' edited work is a timely edition to the current landscape of literature focused on understanding the recent nationwide bans of face veils in both France (2010) and Belgium (2011) … this book draws on an academically diverse group of scholars to contribute a nuanced analysis on the current debate surrounding face veil wearers in Europe and I think it would be suitable for a university class as well as anyone interested in expanding their perspective on the current issue of legal bans on the face veil in Europe today."
Lauren McKown, Nordic Journal of Migration Research

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Human rights & civil liberties law [LNDC], Law [L], Human rights [JPVH], Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC], Gender studies: women [JFSJ1], Religion: general [HRA]