Why the French Don't Like Headscarves explains why the French government decided to ban religious clothing from public schools, and why the 2004 law, which targeted Islamic headscarves, created such a fury. John Bowen, an anthropologist who was living in France at the time, concludes that the French decision came from, among other things, a century-old sensitivity to the presence of religion in schools and a media-driven frenzy. Written in engaging prose, this book is the first comprehensive analysis of this subject, one which speaks to tensions and debates well beyond France's borders. Book jacket.