One of the most controversial legislations to be passed in Europe in the recent past has to be the anti-veil law of France. While the law itself was pretty much harmless and meant to ensure the safety of a nation, it was construed as an attack on the sanctity and religious nature of how Muslim women liked to dress themselves in public. With protests arranged in Muslim countries around the world, it was a sorely hot topic for preachers, feminists and religious zealots alike.
While each party brought valid arguments to the table, the one thing many of them failed to take into account was the fact that their thoughts didn’t really matter. Don’t take this the wrong way, people are free to think what they desire but one thing we do have to realize is that every country has its culture and values that have been shaped and refined over the course of centuries. You just can’t expect to migrate to a foreign land and expect them to adapt and cater to your culture. It’s just wrong!
I do understand that racism is well and alive and in often cases, people in power are somewhat prejudice against those whom they feel threatened by, case and point: the Israel and Palestine fiasco. However, one thing people fail to realize is that they aren’t any different either! A European visiting in any Arab country has to go through the same laws that they in their own country frown upon. I have seen European women wear scarves, loose clothing (which to them are subjugating and a downright crime against fashion), full dresses to the beach and avoiding public displays of affection with their significant others just because they respected the culture of the country they were in. So why should a European country such as France pay heed to someone else’s culture than their own? And it’s not just France, all countries of the world are free to set their laws as they are all sovereign nations.
Sure, we can question such laws on international forums if they are prejudice against a specific group of people but then again, there are so many laws in all countries of the world which are designed to always target a specific group of people. For example, in the Middle East women aren’t allowed to drive or how you don’t have any property rights if you’re not Jew in Israel. It’s just how things are and while they are and should be up for a debate in international courts by experts till then we have to follow these laws because they are there of a country’s culture. You can’t expect them to change their culture just because you don’t like it! Oh and for the record, reading about a subject on Wikipedia and appearing on the news hardly makes you an expert in any field.
The one thing every traveler or immigrant should remember is that while the concept of globalization is something beautiful, it has next to none presence in the real world. Each country defines its borders clearly and within those boundaries they expect that whoever wishes to live there would abide by their preset laws. So, if you’re going to travel to a foreign land at any time in your life, do remember to brush up on their customs and laws before you decide to shove the words, “in my country this is how it is” down their throats. Just as you won’t like hearing those words from an outsider, neither would they from you.
