Voltaire's objections to state-imposed religion in 18th-century France would be valid for today's militant secularism. Tolerance is fundamental for a healthy society: “tolerance has never caused civil war; intolerance has covered the Earth with carnage” (Treatise on Tolerance). Banning the veil, like any attempt to create a more homogeneous society, is doomed to failure. Any ban encourages Islamophobia and fuels extremism by stigmatizing Muslims. Instead, we must "focus on creating mechanisms designed to help women escape subjugation and domestic violence, leave oppressive family structures without fear of violent reprisals, and equip them with tools to better integrate into society and guarantee their autonomy” (National Secular Society). Banning the veil ultimately poses a greater threat to society than the veil itself. Europe's future stability is at stake