Muslim traveling to Paris

She won't be alone. Having worked in the SF Peninsula for many years, I can tell you that there are way more women wearing headscarves in Paris than you'll ever see in Redwood City over an entire lifetime.
Actually I've see more people wearing headscarves in Paris than in Fremont, which is known for having the largest Afghan community outside of Kabul.

Unfortunately, I don't anyone can offer any advice at the moment. The situation is so fluid. And no one has recent experience. I would make the assumption that she would be fine. The French do not appear to be as paranoid as some aspects of the American political scene seem to be.

According to the Brookings Institution, Islam is the "second religion" in France, after Catholicism, and has more adherents than the Jewish, Protestant, and Buddhist communities there combined.

Being in the U.S. and looking at it from that perspective, it's certainly understandable that she would have some apprehension, but I hope you'll encourage her to go forward with her trip. Xenophobes of today were xenophobes a month ago, and probably always will be; in the main, however, I believe she will feel widely accepted and comfortable as she travels.

http://www.brookings.edu/press/books/chapter_1/integratingislam.pdf

Headwear has been an issue in France for several years, and is a hot-button issue for some Parisians. I would hope that a law-abiding person minding their own business would be given the liberty to wear what they want and would not be hassled. As Frank notes, though, the situation could be hard to forecast with certainty. Is she traveling by herself, or will she have company?

I would hope that she doesn't have to scrap her plans, and that she's allowed to enjoy her time in Paris.

Kendyll as you specifically said "headscarf", I'm guessing she wears a hijab or similar which covers her hair but not her face? If so she should be fine as they're very common all over Europe. It's a burqa or niqab which hides the face that she should not - I believe, by law, cannot - wear in public.

Over on the tripadivisor.com Paris forum this question has been asked a few times.. and locals that post on that forum have made it clear that Muslims wearing headscarves is VERY common .. and your friend will not stand out at all.
Some of the Muslim travellers have reported back that they have taken their trips and had no undue issues.
I think your friend will be fine..

All my best wishes to her and I do hope that she does not cancel her trip!

Have her contact the Arab World Institute in Paris for advice and reassurance, www.imarabe.org. I'm sure she will have no problems and visiting the Institute is a great idea for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Their rooftop restaurant is spectacular as is the museum. It's on the museum pass if she gets one. She will have no problems other than where and how much to eat at the great Parisian restaurants.

I think Roberto means largest Afghan community outside of Afghanistan. No way are there more Afghans in Fremont than in Kandahar.
@ Kendyll, Your friend has nothing to worry about. If she wears a hijab and not a niqab, she will be dressed similarly to many women in Paris. I know Muslims who just returned from Paris and they say they felt no threat to their personal safety or even odd looks while there.

Kendyll,

Your friend should fit right in, as it's very common to see women wearing various degrees of head coverings in Paris (and other European cities). However, I've never really noticed whether those wearing only a simply scarf are treated differently than those wearing the full covering with only the eyes showing.

Well, in France, full covering of the face in public is generally illegal so persons wearing, for example, a niqab could well be treated differently i.e. become subject to a fine or whatever the penalty is for the violation.

Yes, niqabs, burkas, and anything else that covers the nose and mouth are illegal in France, supposedly because they are a form of hiding one's identity and are considered provocatively extreme religious symbols. I've read conflicting reports as to how heavily this is enforced, though.

In terms of whether your friend should go, it's entirely up to her to take the risk. Yes, there are lots of Muslim people in France, many of whom wear hijab, but there's always the possibility that she might run into some violent bigot who wants to avenge the dead of 13th November on anyone who looks as if they might be Muslim. Although from what I've been reading, that could happen in California as well.

Violent attacks by bigots could happen to just about anyone, anywhere and at any time. Given that the poster's friend will be (I assume?) visiting as a tourist and doing/seeing all the things that tourists do, she's more likely than not to be fine

More information may be helpful, though, such as her nationality, additional manner of dress (i.e. western with the exception of the hijab?) first language, history on her passport (where else has she recently traveled?) etc?

Yes, as several posters have said, it depends on what type of head scarf she wears. The niqab or any veil that hides the face and shows only the eyes is illegal in public places in France (cinemas, theaters, public transportation, museums, post offices, government offices, schools, etc. etc. ). A headscarf arranged to cover the hair but show the oval of the face is perfectly legal and there are what hundreds of thousands of French and immigrant women in France who wear them (in addition to visitors as well).

I will say that the number or ratio of veil-wearing women varies enormously depending on what neighborhood you're in. In some, it's quite rare; in others, it's very prevalent.

Of course nobody can say for sure, but I would imagine she would be much less likely to elicit unfavorable attention in Paris than perhaps right now back in the United States (if that's indeed where you and she live, it's not clear from your posting) given the open demagoguery back home.

Thank you for all the advice. She is a colleague whom I know by phone and e-mail. I have been urging her to go if she and the rest of her family can feel comfortable, and I referred her to the discussion in this month's Travel News about travel to Europe. But when she mentioned "heardscarf" that identifies her as a Muslim, I thought I'd better check it out more.

I will pass the information on to her, including the reference to a place she can contact in Paris.