HIJAB AND THE LIMITS OF FRENCH SECULAR REPUBLICANISM.

The article focuses on the limitations of French secular republicanism which forces upon Westerners the otherness of Islam. Women who are wearing hijab reveal the importance of gender and sexuality in Islamist critiques of the West. Veiling makes women's bodies a political force in the resistance to egalitarian forces of Western modernity. Veiling brings forth women as markers of modesty and morality. By veiling herself, a woman limits her appeal, and thus maintains her purity. Most French see wearing the headscarf as a direct challenge to French national values. According to one poll, 86 percent of French people are against permitting the wearing of headscarves in public schools.