I was born in Karachi, Pakistan and my parents moved to France when I was just three months old. Being raised and brought up in France, it is my childhood home. I moved to Barking in 2005 and very quickly found myself left to care for my three daughters knowing no English or anything about my surroundings.
In 2010, I was elected first time as a councillor in local government, where we collectively fought against the BNP and ejected them from the borough. After being re-elected in 2014, I became the deputy leader of the council, and I am currently in my fourth term.
Britain and Barking, the place I now call home may not be perfect, but it embodies the values and principles of ‘Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity’ far more closely than France. We enjoy equalities in the UK which are way better than other European countries - values we should not take for granted.
Growing up in France, I heard about teenage girls being expelled from school because they were wearing a headscarf. Soon after this, girls were stopped from wearing the Hijab at school. The wearing of the Niqab (a veil covering the face expect the eyes) was then banned at work and other professional environments.
This was due to the Laïcité.
The concept of Laïcité has its roots in the French Revolution and was enshrined in the French Constitution in 1905. It refers to the separation of religion and state. It is a principle that upholds the neutrality of the state on religion and ensures no one religion is given preferential treatment over others. But is it really the case?
I grew up celebrating Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter at school - all of which were widely celebrated. I always enjoyed celebrating in the company of others.
However, some laws are more penetrable than others. France has a population of 68.04 million, of which 5% identify as Muslim. Yet the Muslim community is not afforded a part to play in changing those laws.
More than 30 French cities and towns have banned the burkini from public beaches, but none consulted the Muslim community. When challenged, an increasing number of those bans have been overturned by the courts in France (Rubin, 2016).
When this first hit the international news in August 2016, I was in France with my family with my three daughters. I had planned to take them to the beach but was so alarmed we decided not to go.
Shortly after this, a Facebook thread started to circulate, and I expressed my views as a French Muslim woman.
I was completely taken aback and outraged that three police officers would ask a woman to remove her clothing on the beach in Nice. I also shared my concerns about the way France was responding to diverse communities. In France it is clear you must assimilate and not integrate!
Despite being raised in France, I am hugely grateful and proud to be a British citizen and an elected member of the local government - a position I would have never have achieved had I still lived in Paris. Not a single Muslim woman who wears a hijab has been elected to office in the whole of France.
My comments caught the attention of the New York Times who interviewed me about Muslim women and our lives in Europe. The journalist visited me at my office at Barking Town Hall to discuss the topic.
The French Prime Minister at the time, Manuel Valls, responded saying it was wrong that the New York Times was giving a voice to Muslim women. I felt compelled to respond back and before I knew it, I was in an exchange with the French PM.
Shortly after, I was contacted by Valentina Canavesio, a film producer from the United States, who asked me to be a part of a documentary about French Muslim women. Initially unsure of what to expect, I met with Valentina and learned about her vision for her film, ‘Marianne’. I felt Valentina had a good vision and professionalism, so I accepted.
Why Marianne as a title, and who is she?
Marianne is the national symbol of France - she embodies the values of ‘Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity’. In the UK, we have Britannia, although she is not a symbol of republican nationalism.
But who is the Marianne of today?
The filming of Marianne took almost five years from start to finish. It follows seven French Muslim women from different walks of life and tells their story and their relationship with Islam, in a country that upholds the principle of Laïcité.
The aim of the film is to nudge people and give them food for thought to carry on the conversation about secularism, islamophobia, and racism.
In France, Muslim women are still prohibited from wearing the hijab in public services and many other public places, such as banks, town halls, restaurants, and leisure facilities.
Mothers are not allowed to accompany their children on school trips if they wear the hijab. On the other hand, the situation in Iran is the complete opposite, and women are obligated to wear the hijab in all public spaces. In both scenarios, women are deprived of the freedom to choose how they present themselves to the world.
All that we ask is that we have the freedom to choose.
Cllr Saima Ashraf is deputy leader of Barking and Dagenham LBC and Cabinet member for community leadership and engagement
