On the one hand, people argue that the veil ban is crucial for an effective assimilation of Muslim women into French culture and therefore, secularism should be prioritized over freedom. For instance, Caitlin Killian conducted a study in which she interviewed Muslim French women asking for their opinions on the veil ban, and more than a few agreed with it. One interviewee expressed, “I felt that when you are somewhere, you try to blend in. There’s an old Moroccan proverb that says, ‘do as you neighbor or leave’” (Killian 572).
Similarly, another respondent said, “I’ve suffered from intolerance, but dressing like that, you become yourself intolerant, because you want to impose” (Killian 573). Both responses from the interviewees—Muslim Frenchwomen—denote an effort towards integration into French society and approval of the ban as a step towards assimilation. Henceforth, these are all plausible explanations as to why secularization should be prioritized over freedom and how the veil ban can promote integration.