Photo by Sophie Barat, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cases: women covering their head and/or face with a headscarf, chador, niqāb or burqa.

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Cultural test

Legal Insights

Anthropological insights

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Proposed balancing act: The wearing of the veil should not be opposed and banned because, especially in countries where it is not imposed by totalitarian regimes, it is often a woman's choice, expressive of her religious freedom and cultural identity, i.e. a way of expressing her individuality.
Even in cases where wearing it was not a free choice of women but an imposition, bans on its use would not guarantee their protection, but may rather sanction the opposite effect of further curtailing personal freedom and freedom of movement, as they might be directly prohibited from leaving the community or family.
​Nor should the veil be feared and considered detrimental to a sense of security as it is not a tool used by women for the commission of crimes, like other garments often used for this purpose, nor does it prevent their identification if necessary. Since the choice of clothing is directly related to habeas corpus, it does not seem justified for the state to intervene in the choices of how to dress.

Bibliographic references

​Legal Bibliography
 
Audureau, W. (2023). "Qu’est-ce que l’abaya, le vêtement que Gabriel Attal veut interdire à l’école?" Le Monde.fr, agosto 28.
Cavaggion, G. (2016) "Gli enti locali e le limitazioni del diritto alla libertà religiosa: il divieto di indossare il velo integrale."
Ceffa, C.B. and Grasso, G. (2021). "“Un Velo Sulla Costituzione”. Il Divieto Di Dissimulazione Del Viso Entra a Far Parte Della Costituzione Federale Svizzera: Una Sfida Inedita per Il Diritto Costituzionale Europeo?" DPCE Online, 46(1).
Daverkosen, D. (2019). "“Meet my brain”: I dialog med niqabklædte kvinder om det danske tildækningsforbud." Scandinavian Journal of Islamic Studies, 13(2), pp. 38–58. doi: 10.7146/tifo.v13i2.117768.
Hargreaves, A.G. (2023). "Lop-Sided Laws: French Muslims and Laïcité." Contemporary French and Francophone Studies, 27(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17409292.2023.2185404.
Holzleithner, E. (2018). "Zum Verbot der Gesichtsverhüllung in Österreich – eine rechtliche Farce." FEMINA POLITICA - Zeitschrift für feministische Politikwissenschaft, 27(1), pp. 127–33. doi: 10.3224/feminapolitica.v27i1.13.
Howard, E. (2022). "Headscarves and the CJEU: Protecting Fundamental Rights and Pandering to Prejudice, the CJEU Does Both." Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 29(2), pp. 245–62. doi: 10.1177/1023263X221080557.
Howard, E. (2023). Headscarves and the Court of Justice of the European Union: An Analysis of the Case Law. London: Routledge.
Mack, W. (2022). "The German 'burqa' Ban Debate: Conceal and Reveal Strategies." Internationa Studies Journal, 18(71), pp. 115–74.
Mancini, L. (2015). Introduzione all’antropologia giuridica. Torino: Giappichelli.
Mose, G. (2023). Religion, Human Rights, and the Workplace: Judicial Balancing in the United States Federal Courts and the European Court of Human Rights. London: Routledge.
Olivito, E. (2014). "Egalité de combat e “vivre ensemble”. La Corte di Strasburgo e il divieto francese del velo integrale nei luoghi pubblici." Diritti Comparati. Recuperato il 27 settembre 2023 (https://www.diritticomparati.it/egalite-de-combat-e-vivre-ensemble-la-corte-di-strasburgo-e-il-divieto-francese-del-velo-integrale-n/).
Ruggiu, I. (2018). "“Spogliare” i migranti. I divieti contro kirpan, burqa, hijab, come eredità coloniale europea." laCostituzione.info. Recuperato il 18 settembre 2023 (https://www.lacostituzione.info/index.php/2018/02/08/spogliare-i-migranti-i-divieti-contro-kirpan-burqa-hijab-come-eredita-coloniale-europea/).
Salem, M.A. (2020). "The full veil: a question of real security or presumed insecurity?" Quaderni di diritto e politica ecclesiastica (2). doi: 10.1440/98369.
Usan, T. (2023). "Francia, divieto di abaya nelle scuole: 67 ragazze mandate a casa." La Stampa, settembre 8.
Vanbellingen, L. (2022). "Laïcité “ à la belge ” : vers une neutralité intrinsèquement plurielle ?" Revue du droit des religions. 14, pp. 57–70. doi: https://doi.org/10.4000/rdr.1898
 
 
Anthropological bibliography (recommended reading)
 
Floya, A. (2008). "Thinking Through the Lens of Translocational Positionality: An Intersectionality Frame for Understanding Identity and Belonging." Translocations: Migrations and Social Change, Vol. 4, pp. 5-20.
 
Interesting reading that allows us to understand identity construction processes in migratory contexts. This reading is important in order to understand which identity mechanisms are activated among migrants and to what extent the use of certain symbols is essential for an affirmation of identity that is not only social but also personal.
 
 
Anthropological bibliography (for further reading)
 
Hejazi, S. (2008). L'Iran (s)velato. Antropologia dell'intreccio tra identità e velo, Roma, Aracne Editrice.
Nassim Abroudar, B. (2015). Come il velo è diventato musulmano, Milano, Raffaello, Cortina Editore.