In France, Muslims who feel they are part of the country are being oppressed by the public because of their religion. They try to fit into Western society while keeping with their beliefs, yet France, which has become a secular state, believes that this does not promote unity. France is trying to lead to unity by being secular and banning religious symbols, but is instead creating a divided country. The hijab is worn by Muslim women in public and covers their chest and face. This can further extend to covering their whole body and is used to conform to a standard of modesty. It was also used to protect women from being harassed by men. Even though the hijab is a big part of the Islamic culture and image, it is, in fact, not explicitly mentioned …show more content…
This made people weigh the decision if communitarianism and religious freedom were more important than security and minority assimilation. Djelila and Sohane represent both sides of the conflict. Djelila is an assimilated Muslim who has conformed with Western traditions. She would miss going to the “mosque because she had to catch up on a lesson with one of her friends” (41). Yet when Djelila is among other Muslims, such as Majid and gang, she is shamed for not practicing their religion properly. On the other hand, Sohane is a model of Islamic faith, practicing her faith at home and at school. She wants to be part of her society while staying steadfast to her religion, but her school doesn’t allow her to wear her hijab. This leads to conflict and tension seen in many places around France. Persecuted Muslims feel they need to retaliate which further hurts the vision of Muslims around the world, such as the Charlie Hebdo shooting which was caused out of hate towards satirical writers making fun of Islam. This creates of cycle of hate toward Islam that has grown a division between Muslims and other residents of