Well, being French myself, I'll try to explain a few details in my miserable english (which gets worse and worse every day
). I hope you will understand a few sentences however...
Some fundamentalist groups are tying to test the resistance of the French Republic. More and more male students (or employees) refuse to take oral exams (or punishments) from women. Some women get certificates (produced to oblige them) which allow them not being at certain lessons, such as biology, civics, sexual and physical education... In public hospitals, some men refuse to allow their wives to be examined by male doctors, and corridors are used as prayer rooms. People try to gather in accordance with their religion. Religious frictions are threatening in french suburbs.
You have to understand that the French want to be a united people. They fear becoming a juxtaposition of foreign communities without common identity.
Most of the french politicians were initially against such a law. A commission headed by Bernard Stasi, after 6 months of study and 120 hearings that collected testimony from all concerned people, made a big report about those issues. The commission members, who were initially against the law too, all changed their mind after their inquiry. In addition, some parliamentary reports were made : they came to the same conclusions. The French Republic is in danger.
More and more women are forced to war veils. That's why 49% of the french muslim women agree with this law (while 43% disagree). They want to be free at least in one place : the free secular public school. The French wants misogyny to keep outside the schools.
They also think that public school has to transcend ethnic, religious and politic determinism, in order to make from each pupil a free french citizen. Religious influences must not enter the school. Of course, liberty of religion is guaranteed, but religion must not be a factor of division or segregation.
Wearing a veil is a voluntary separation from other pupils. It's the sign that you asser your identity, that your beliefs come first. But school, according to the French, isn't a place where you should assert your identity with conspicuous symbols. It's a place where you are supposed to
receive culture and education. The teacher wants to teach to
pupils, not to
followers, nor to living religious emblems. Conspicuous symbols creates a harmful climate, in which religious assertions interfere with secular education. It's no good for a serene education. Wearing a veil is like wearing a flag on your head. It's disturbing.
By the way, at school you have to remove your cap, your hat, and anything that covers your head. Of course, those women say that they feel naked. But what will you answer if one day they demand to wear a burka at school ? Moreover, they have to swim for physical education anyway, and they won't be able to swim with their clothes... But they actually get false medical certificates...
