Islamic Headscarves and Female Circumcision : Unveiling the Threat Posed by Islam to Human Rights

This paper is, in part, a response to the NZPGLeJ Editor-in-Chief Herman Salton’s article, “‘Veiled Threats?’ Islam, Headscarves and Freedom of Religion in France and the United States”, which was published in the first issue of this journal. However, it moves beyond Salton’s article as it seeks to address familiar assumptions regarding the inherent incompatibility of Islam with human rights, particularly women’s rights. By focusing on two distinct issues, the Islamic headscarf and the practice of female circumcision, questions are raised as to whether Islam and human rights, especially women’s rights, are truly incompatible or whether there are other issues at stake. It also discusses the defamation of religions, particularly Islam, and the recent steps taken by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in relation to this issue. The paper concludes by providing some insights into the likely future direction that the headscarf debate may take in New Zealand