Refashioning Secularisms in France and Turkey: The Case of the Headscarf Ban (Routledge Islamic Studies Series)

Over The Past Few Years, Secularism Has Become An Intrinsic Component Of Discussions On Religious Freedom And Religious Governance. The Question Of Whether States Should Restrict The Wearing Of Headscarves And Other Religious Symbols Has Been Particularly Critical In Guiding This Thought Process. Refashioning Secularisms In France And Turkey Documents How, In Both Countries, Devout Women Have Contested Bans On Headscarves, Pointing To How These Are Inconsistent With The 'real' Spirit Of Secularism. These Activists Argue That It Is Possible To Be Simultaneously Secular And Religious; To Believe In The Values Conveyed By Secularism, While Still Remaining Devoted To Their Faith. Through This Examination, The Book Highlights How Activists Locate Their Claims Within The Frame Of Secularism, While At The Same Time Revisiting It To Craft A Space For Their Religiosity. Addressing The Lacuna In Literature On The Discourse Of Devout Muslims Affected By These Restrictions, This Book Offers A Topical Analysis On An Understudied Dimension Of Secularism And Is A Valuable Resource For Students And Researchers With An Interest In Religion, Gender Studies, Human Rights And Political Science. -- Introduction : The Hegemony Of Secularism, Gender & Space -- A Tradition Of Regulations : Shedding Light On The Paradoxes Of Languages Of Secularism -- The Slow Exclusion Of Pious Women From French And Turkish Societies : (re) Producing Spaces -- French Muslims Activists : Promoting A Laïcité Ante -- Turkish Devout Activists : Reconfiguring Laiklik With Human Rights -- A Rights-based Discourse : A Door To Multiple Sites Of Contestations. Amélie Barras. Based On Author's Dissertation (doctoral - London School Of Economics And Political Sciences, 2011) Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Abbreviations 12 1 Introduction: the hegemony of secularism, gender and space 14 Locating refashioning secularisms 16 On methods and ethics 23 Summing up the argument and outlining the structure of the book 29 Notes 31 2 A tradition of regulations: shedding light on the paradoxes of the languages of secularism 34 Paradoxes of the languages of laϊcité and laiklik 35 Conclusion 49 Notes 51 3 The slow exclusion of pious women from French and Turkish societies: (re)producing spaces 56 The exclusion of pious Muslim women and the making of spaces 57 'Making room' for public spaces 58 Conclusion 75 Notes 76 4 French Muslim activists: promoting a laϊcité ante 82 A short overview 83 The March 2004 Law and the extensions of exclusions: sketching an argument 89 Conclusion 101 Notes 103 5 Turkish devout activists: reconfiguring laiklik with human rights 107 Setting the context: a discursive shift 108 Religious rights activists: a window into understanding how laiklik can be refashioned 111 Conclusion 125 Notes 127 6 A rights-based discourse: a door to multiple sites of challenges 131 Litigation at the national level: the work of French activists 132 Access to international sites 135 Conclusion 148 Notes 149 Conclusion: an invitation to transcend the secular/religious divide 153 Unwinding the argument 154 Evaluating the success of this (re)articulation 159 Notes 164 Bibliography 165 Index 178 "Over the past few years, secularism has become an intrinsic component of discussions on religious freedom and religious governance. The question of whether states should restrict the wearing of headscarves and other religious symbols has been particularly critical in guiding this thought process. Refashioning Secularisms in France and Turkey documents how, in both countries, devout women have contested bans on headscarves, pointing to how these are inconsistent with the 'real' spirit of secularism. These activists argue that it is possible to be simultaneously secular and religious; to believe in the values conveyed by secularism, while still remaining devoted to their faith. Through this examination, the book highlights how activists locate their claims within the frame of secularism, while at the same time revisiting it to craft a space for their religiosity. Addressing the lacuna in literature on the discourse of devout Muslims affected by these restrictions, this book offers a topical analysis on an understudied dimension of secularism and is a valuable resource for students and researchers with an interest in Religion, Gender Studies, Human Rights and Political Science."-- Provided by publisher