The Headscarf Debate

So in my last blog, I had mentioned that I was excited about a debate in my english class. So, the debate topic came up and it wasn't immigration but about the headscarf banning in France. Back in 2004, the French passed a law that banned schoolgirls from wearing their hijabs within a school setting. This turned into a controversial issue because one side believed that it was wrong to deny someone their religious beliefs in any setting, and the other side believed the passing of the law would make schools safer and less discriminative against those who wore an item that had an association with a certain religion. In the debate, I was on the side that was against this law. Our argument was that the government shouldn't have made this a law because it takes away their identity and you are asking them to change something that they have had for their whole lives. The hijab is worn as a symbol of their religion, identity, and according to a girl in France, it protects her from the sexual glances of perverted men. This is what makes them who they are and they are comfortable with it. This is like telling students in schools across America, you cannot speak Spanish because in this country, we speak English. So, therefore, you are not allowed to speak Spanish. If I were told that in any setting, my rights of freedom of speech and expression would have been violated. Secondly, it would make me feel like I was an outcast and that I did not belong there. Lastly, it would make me feel uncomfortable because sometimes when I am talking to my friends, I speak Spanglish. (English and Spanish put together.) Imagine how those girls feel having something that protects them and is apart of their identity and commitment to God in their religion. So actually, we won I guess you could say. I thought we did a lot better than the other side because they kept reading off their paper and their points were a bit weaker because we came back with a stronger rebuttle. I had fun at this debate and I really felt like I knew what I was doing and saying. Well, until next time.....see ya!