I'm reading about headscarves

I'm now reading a terrific book called Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Religion, the State, and Public Space.

This is by American anthropologist John Bowen, who was living in France for a few years while the French were debating (and passing) a law banning Muslim headscarves in the public schools.

Far more than a political story, Bowen explains the French political/social worldview, which proves incredibly useful. I've been following this story for years, and having it explained in worldview terms helps immensely.

For instance: Bowen notes that the French tend to view social freedoms as coming from, and being guaranteed by, the state. Any weakening of the state will ultimately threaten human rights.

Since Muslims believe that Islam contains ultimate truth, most believe their religion needs to be lived out in all areas of life, not just in private.

But the French tend to view publicly assertive religion in terms of their lengthy struggle with the Catholic Church. For a century after the revolution, the Church insisted on "integrism", or the Church's dominance in all of life.

The French state prevailed by the creation of laïcité, usually translated as secularism. All public life is to be secular, according to this line of thought, because only a secular public space can guarantee freedom of thought and conscience.

When a Muslim girl wears a scarf--a veil as it's called--in school, the guardians of laïcité feel this is an assertion of Islam's superiority over the secular space.