In an opinion piece for The Hill, Asra Rizvi, a master's student in Clinical Psychology, writes that, as mandated secularism, the ban by several municipalities in France of burkinis — the full-body covering swimsuit worn by some Muslim women, “defies human rights.” France’s minister for women’s rights, Laurence Rossignol, has defended the bans, saying they are in keeping with the country’s secularist values, which prohibit religious symbols in public. But Rizvi writes that they violate the right of Muslim women to practice their faith, which requires that both men and women cover themselves to promote modesty. 

"Secularism defies human rights; where it liberates one from forced religious practice, it oppresses the other that chooses to freely practice their religion," writes the student, who notes she has worn the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, since she was nine. "As an American Muslim, I feel liberated by my choice to wear a head covering however I want it. I live the American dream while wearing a head covering, which, surprisingly to some, does not make me hyper-religious nor unpatriotic."

In addition to being a student at Teachers College, Rizvi is a Schizophrenia Research Coordinator at Northwell Health- Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York. To read her opinion piece, click here.

Published Thursday, Aug 18, 2016