In the past week, my social media and news feed has been perforated with articles on the hijab ban in France. The French Senate has voted to ban hijab for women under the age of 18. Although not yet a law, this vote, along with the 2011 bill illegalizing religious face covering, reveals a pattern of anti-Muslim sentiments growing in Europe.
The banning of the hijab in France is far from an isolated incident, it is symptom of Islamophobia that has been breeding in the continent for decades now. The hijab is often seen as a symbol of Islamic fundamentalism pitted against secular governments. As someone studying International Relations, I have seen the exploitation of this primitive, hijabi Muslim versus the modern, non-hijabi Muslim being exploited by politicians and citizens alike. As an Indian, I have witnessed the regurgitation of this binary in the growing Hindutva sentiments of Narednra Modi’s government.
But as a non-Muslim, I have always been stopped short at how best to support my Muslim friends. Having heard stories about microaggressions faced by Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab on campus, it is apparent that Islamophobia is not immune to the “woke” walls of university. In light of this, I have had a conversation with a friend at Goldsmiths on how she extends her allyship.
Yasmine, an English student at Goldsmith relayed how her experience as a Jewish student has helped her strengthen her allyship. “I feel like when it comes to microaggressions, in that moment when you are being discriminated against, you don’t know how to react. More often than not, none of my friends will come to my support at the instance when I am being discriminated against because of my Jewish identity. They’ll extend their support afterwards, tell me how appalled they are. Create Instagram posts for it. But I think what helps the most is standing up for you friend when they are being subjected to the discrimination. And I always try to remember that as I try to be an ally for my Muslim friends.”
Both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have been a silent epidemic on campus. While it is easy to condemn French politics for its overt displays of Islamophobia, it is a lot harder to call out microaggressions that our friends may experience in their daily lives. A repository published by Sofia Akel underscores the institutionalization of Islamophobia in London universities. It ranges from issues that one might consider trivial like a lack of halal options in cafeterias to more explicit displays of discrimination from staff and students against the Muslim community.
Like Yasmine, I think the first step towards extending allyship is not being afraid to stand up when you notice your friend is facing microaggressions or any form of discrimination. It is so important to be educated on and take a stance against systemic Islamophobia and the first step for doing this is extending support to those around you.
Paakhi Bhatnagar 