Following the volatile attacks in France in January and November of 2015, France’s civil society has several challenges it is facing in constructively dealing with violent fundamentalism. France’s governmental foundations, which are deeply rooted in the ideal of laïcité—the absence of religion in government and the public sphere—have come under scrutiny in the months following these events. This seemingly solid foundation, which has been in place for centuries, has been left crumbling following this string of attacks. The law of the headscarf, passed in 2004 was one of the first which blatantly banned the conspicuous wearing of religious symbols in the public sphere. Despite this ban being placed on symbols of all religions, it is particularly geared towards the wearing of the headscarf on young women, a symbol of their purity and humility. The law has been met with uproar, with the argument that since many belonging to the Muslim population in France hail from former French colonies, that it is an overtly racist action against this group.