Maria Boariu The Veil as Metaphor of French Colonized Algeria The paper examines the shift of the veil from a I. INTRODUCTION religious and traditional symbol to a political metaphor during French colonized Algeria (18301962). It dis- May 13, 1958: Colons seized the overthrow of the 4th Re- cusses the significance of veiling for both the coloniz- public. French women, to applauding crowds, lifted the veils from ers and the colonists. For France, unveiled women the heads of a number of Muslim women, who gratefully smiled at the cameraman (New York Times Magazine). Behind this would have been the proof of colonial power. For drama cited by D. Gordon1, were wives of French gen- Algeria, veiling represented resistance to assimilation. erals pretending to be native Algerians. Caught in between, the veil can be considered a May 6, 1962: for the first time, terrorist shooting metaphor for the Algerian colonization. opens on veiled women in the streets of Algiers. The first part of the paper explores the religious and MARIA BOARIU traditional meanings associated with the veil. The Why was the veil meaningful for both the French HighSchool teacher, Cluj, second part analyses the political importance of the and the Algerians? How was the veil perceived by Alge- Romania, Alumna CEU veil during colonization and its use as a tool for rians and by the French? In what way did colonization Gender Studies 2002 e-mail: misleading the French authorities. transform the significance of the veil? How can the [email protected] JSRI No.3 /Winter 2002 173 KEY WORDS shift of the veil from a religious and traditional symbol nists from Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt struggled for to a political metaphor be explained? I will analyze the emancipation from foreign and patriarchal power, Alge- Algeria, Islam, veil, gender, significance of veiling for both the colonizers and the rian women fought for the national cause. Under these colonization, Koran, reli- gion, segregation, patriar- colonists. For France, unveiled women would have circumstances, the battle for the veil became the meta- chy, family values, differ- been the proof of colonial power. For Algeria, veiling phor of resistance to colonization2. ences, social convention represented resistance to assimilation. Caught in be- Before starting the discussion about veiling during tween, the veil can be considered a metaphor for the the French colonized Algeria, I consider it necessary to Algerian colonization. The history of the veil during make distinctions between the paradigms that shaped French colonization was intertwined with the history of the place of woman in Islamic society. Barbara Freyer Algerian women. I argue that it is not true that Algerian Stowasser3 mentions three paradigms: traditionalist, Is- women were apolitical. They participated in politics in lamist and modernist. First, the Islamist paradigm im- specific ways, according to the circumstances. Under plies equality between the sexes, but demands different the French colonization, their way was to take part in roles for each. The Koran prescriptions are highly re- secret missions, using the veil as an instrument of con- garded. Veiling was not a designated rule. Second, tradi- cealment. For the role of the veil in colonial history, I tionalism rejects the Koran prescriptions about equality will consider the Algerian nationalist attitude toward and enhances womans subordination. The stress on women. For the place of the veil in the colonizers atti- veiling is a traditionalist product. Third, modernism re- tude, I will examine the image of Algerian women in considers the Koran norms historically. In this context, French at that time. womens political rights are promoted. Modernism, like The first part of the paper will discuss the religious Islamism, aims to achieve both an authentic and a Ko- and traditional meanings associated with the veil. The rancentered Islam4. Modernism took an activist second part will examine the political importance of the form in which Western feminism influenced the Islamic veil during colonization and its use as a tool for mis- discourse. The veil became a highly debated issue. It leading the French authorities. I will restrict to the colo- was claimed to be a symbol of patriarchal oppression. nial time (1830 1962). While the traditional pre-colo- Although modernity emerged in 1940s Algeria, I nial aspects about veiling are relevant to this study in consider that a distinction should be made between the order to make visible the new meanings of the veil dur- modern period before independence (1940s 1962) ing colonization, this paper will not cover the postco- and the postcolonial period in respect to the veil. Even lonial feminist debates about veiling. I chose the Alge- though it belongs to modernity, the use of the veil as an rian case because it proved to have a special status instrument during the war of independence is a par- among the North African colonies. At the time femi- ticular moment in the modern history of the veil. The JSRI No.3 /Winter 2002 174 present paper aims to consider three patterns, namely: hijab and Khimar. The Hijab is the word usually the Islamist, the traditionalist and the translated into veil or yashmak. The etymology is instrumentalisation of the veil. Although any attempt Arabic: Hijab (Islam) < hajaba (Arab), meaning to hide to see them separately is artificial, for the purpose of from view or conceal7. Khimar means cover- any being systematic, I will discuss them apart. cover: a curtain is a Khimar, a dress is a Khimar, a table cloth that covers the top of a table is a Khimar, a blan- ket is a Khimar. Definitions The usual correspondent word for veil in Arabic is hijab. It is the term used by many Muslim women A possible explication of the difficulties in under- to describe their head covering, which may or may not standing veiling may be found in the linguistic differ- cover all the face but the eyes, and sometimes also ences between Western and Islamic culture. A brief covers one eye (in certain parts of Algeria). In modern presentation of the English and the Arabic words will Islam, it refers to the modest dress worn by Muslim follow. women that covers the head and body. The degree of The veil is defined by Websters Ninth New Colle- concealment depends on the social and economic back- giate Dictionary as a length of cloth worn by women as ground of the woman. Additionally, cultural origin, de- a covering for the head and shoulders and often for the mographic setting, the religious or secular educational face, a concealing curtain or cover of cloth. Another background also contribute to the adopted form of meaning refers to covering or concealing5. The etymol- veiling. The degree of veiling is most noticeable in the ogy for the English word veil is Latin: veile (Middle variety of colors and styles. In this paper I will refer English, 13th century) < voile (Old North French) < only at the hijab as it pertains to Algerian Muslim vçla/ vçlum (Lat.). The term has four dimensions of women usually black, covering the entire body (in- meanings: material (clothing, ornament), spatial (screen, cluding the fingers) and the face excepting the eyes. division of the space), communicative (invisibility), reli- Two ideas will be of help from the above defini- gious (celibacy)6. tions. One refers to the linguistic difference between With reference to the Islamic world, there is no the Western concept of veil and the Islamic ones; the Arabic equivalent for the Western word veil. There other refers to the differences inside the Islamic lan- are over a hundred terms for dress parts, many used for guage. The first idea implies that the Western concept veiling (including dual gendered and gender-neutral of the veil is monolithic and vague, unable to cover the terms). A great part of the dispute around the veil is original local meanings. The variety of terms regarding due to a linguistic difference between two Arabic terms: the veil in a society where veiling is a specific prac- JSRI No.3 /Winter 2002 175 tice highlights the complexity of the matter, which can- II. THE RELIGIOUS MEANINGS OF THE not be attached to a single word. The second idea dis- VEIL tinguishes between hijab and Khimar, meaning the difference between hiding and covering. This lin- guistic aspect will be of great importance when address- ing the Koranic prescripts about veiling (section II). The Korans Prescriptions about Veiling Under these circumstances, I assume the linguistic difference as a major limitation of this paper. Although The word Hijab appears in the Koran five times I will use the English word veil, it is the Islamic (7:46, 33:59, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51). However, in only one polysemy of hiding + sacred + modesty + privacy of these (33:59) does Hijab refers to what is consid- which is to be signified. To understand the concept of ered to be the dress code today9 . Hijab as it appears in hijab, it is necessary to review the Islamic justification the Koran has nothing to do with the dress code for for the female dress code8 . The Muslim world has two Muslim women. Most of the time, it was the misleading sources of revelation: one is religious, the Koran (the translation of khimar as veil (Engl.)/ hijab(Arab.) actual Word of God, recorded by Muhammed, 7th cen- which created contradictions. There are three basic tury) and the other is traditional (Hadiths and rules the Koran ascribes for dressing10 . Sunnah, secondhand reports of Muhammeds per- The first rule the Koran has for the women refers sonal way of life). However, most of the time, there is to righteousness as the best garment - what is inside no clear distinction between Koran rules and tradition your heart is more important for God that the dress in the Islamic world.