Ilham Moussaïd
Ilham Moussaïd is a French politician.
In 2010, aged 21, she was a candidate of the New Anticapitalist Party in Avignon, led by Olivier Besancenot.[1] Her candidacy caused controversy due to her wearing of hijab and the ongoing debate regarding the veil.[2] She is a practicing Muslim and identifies herself as a pro-choice feminist.
Some critics of Ilham say that the headscarf is an affront to women, incompatible with feminism, but she replied as such:
These feminists say that it's a symbol of oppression, of submission. For my part, I'm not submissive: it's a personal choice. I'm a feminist. I fight for women's rights with my women comrades. I fight for equality between men and women. I fight for the right to abortion, the right to contraception. It's true they see it as a symbol of oppression but unfortunately they forget that there are women who wear it out of choice. A certain number of women are obliged to wear it, of course, I don't deny that, and I'll fight for these women. But you can't say that all those who've chosen to wear a headscarf are submissive. It's not true. Once it's a question of personal choice you can't say the person is being oppressed, as these feminists argue. For me, being a feminist means defending the right of women to have control over their own lives. I have control over mine and I've made this choice but it's not respected. These feminists don't respect it because I haven't made the same choice as them. My response is that there's not just one way to be a feminist; there's not just one way to be a woman. We can't all be alike. We need to concentrate on what unites us, on the fight for equality between men and women, and not to say we should all dress the same way, that you can't wear a headscarf because otherwise you're not a feminist. I think that shows a lack of respect. I don't feel represented by feminists who say that the headscarf is always a question of obligation. There are a lot of feminists who agree with me, who see that I'm fighting the same battles as them, and they support me.[3]
References
- ^ http://www.liberation.fr/politiques/2010/02/18/tout-voile-dehors_610641
- ^ Davies, Lizzy (10 February 2010). "Election candidate in headscarf causes uproar in France". The Guardian.
- ^ Wolfreys, Jim (March 2010). "Ilham Moussaid: A proud tribune of the oppressed". Socialist Review.
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