On Burning the Veil

Neil MacMaster raises an interesting question in the beginning of his book. After World War II, French colons suppressed Algerians (including Algerian women) forcefully, arguing that they were savage and incapable of reaching European culture. In doing so, they elevated themselves to the top of the social hierarchy. Yet, less than fifteen years later, they called for the emancipation of Muslim women in Algeria, arguing that these women must be given voting rights, health care and social security, and ultimately, must be un-veiled. MacMaster’s guiding question is “How did this U-Turn take place?”

Above all, MacMaster argues that the French government (or at least military, when it was unclear what position the French government had at the height of the Algerian War, if it had a proper civilian government at all) instituted a form of “state feminism” in order to engage in nation-building in Algeria. Like Atatürk and Reza Shah, the French government looked to increase its power and expand its mandate by removing the seemingly oppressive institution of the veil. In doing so, the French believed they could gain the support of Muslim women, who would proceed to work with them as informers against the FLN. Unhappily for the French, forced unveiling actually turned Muslim women against them and deepened the quagmire war the French had begun.

There are times where the writing in this book could be improved, as it is sometimes a bit dry, but the content and depth of research is excellent. I was most interested in MacMaster’s chapter on forced unveiling as a means of making ID cards for Muslim women. In the pictures shown, it is clear that the women despised French soldiers for coercing them in this manner. Fortunately, MacMaster gives all of the necessary background to fully understand the photographs and stories he tells.