A Belgian face-veil ban would be senseless

Belgium appears to be the leading contender in the race to become Europe's first country to ban the face-veil, on the grounds that it is "not compatible with an open, liberal, tolerant society". France, Italy and the Netherlands, meanwhile, are also contemplating their own laws on the issue.

The proposed ban makes little sense, whether looked at from the perspective of principle or pragmatism. On the level of principle, it seems somewhat paradoxical to be upholding our European values of liberalism and tolerance by restricting the right of women to choose to dress as they wish, in accordance with their beliefs. I personally do not encourage the wearing of niqab, just as I may not support many of my fellow citizens' lifestyle choices, and I understand that not being able to view another's face can be uncomfortable for many.

But our personal disagreement or discomfort with another's choice does not give us the right to ban it. In this, I would seem to be more squarely within the liberal tradition than many European politicians. It seems that many of our basic principles evaporate when faced with the hysteria surrounding Muslim issues and particularly Muslim women.

On the level of pragmatism, the key stated purpose of the ban is to promote greater integration and interaction between communities. This is certainly an aim to be welcomed, but it rests on two flawed assumptions. First, it assumes that women who wear the niqab do not interact with the rest of society. This is not the case. I know a number of women wearing niqab who go about their daily lives with few problems. However, for those who do not wish to interact with others, forcing them to dress a certain way is unlikely to change their behaviour. Citizens simply cannot be forced to communicate with each other by stripping them of their right to choose how to dress.

Second, it is somewhat difficult to believe that the 30 or so women who actually wear the niqab in Belgium are the single biggest hindrance to integration. According to a 2006 survey at least 58.9% of Turks and 55.6% of Moroccans in Belgium are living under the EU mandated poverty line. The issue of 30 women wearing face-veils pales in comparison.

The level of hypocrisy in this debate beggars belief – while we criticise countries who force women to put clothes on, we can force them to take them off for the sake of "liberation". Under the guise of increasing opportunities for integration, we are closing the entire public space to women and restricting opportunities to interact with others simply because of an extra piece of fabric. While we claim to promote tolerance, we are licensing discrimination and hatred of a small group of women who are being blamed for all the failures of integration policies.

As a Muslim woman, I resent the fact that our role in the public imagination is restricted to burqas and niqabs. Europe's minority communities have many pressing concerns – discrimination, high rates of unemployment, educational underachievement, economic deprivation – yet the same tired, old debate about Muslim women rages on.

Huge progress is being made by Muslim women, who are entering new fields and rising to the top of their professions, slowly but surely. Rather than wasting precious energy on the same circular debates, it would be more worthwhile for politicians to listen to Muslim women and understand what would actually help them to integrate better. Quick-fix solutions, while they may reassure us, often do more harm than good. (By: Intissar Kherigi)

Intissar Kherigi studied Law at King's College, Cambridge, then specialised in human rights at the Centre for the Study of Human Rights, London School of Economics. She has worked in the House of Lords, the United Nations in New York, and the European parliament in Brussels.

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