Islamic Headscarf Controversy in France

The Role of Culture as Explanatory Framework

Abstract

The controversy regarding the French ban on wearing of Islamic scarf in Public spaces has divided the French public for at least two decades. This paper uses culture as an explanatory framework to underscore that the issue of the headscarf has assumed greater significance because it has come to be viewed as a symbol of French Muslim identity. Subsequently, Muslim groups view the exclusion of the scarf from public spaces as exclusion of Muslim identity as part of French social fabric. The paper argues that culture which is the source of the issue also has the potential to resolve the dispute.