French MPs say burqa off!
Many French people say they want a ban on the burqa in all public places
Photo: Flickr (deepchi)
A cross-party commission of French MPs today recommended a partial ban on the wearing of the Islamic face veil, which it says will send a clear message that the garment is "unacceptable" in France's secular society.
The commission wants parliament to adopt a ban on wearing face veils, such as the burqa and niqab, on state property. Women who refused to remove the veil would be denied access to places such as hospitals and benefit offices.
Controversy has been brewing since President Nicholas Sarkozy announced over the summer that the burqa was "not welcome in France". As a clear symbol of Muslim faith and seen by many as oppressive to women, the veil triggers concerns among many people in the country, which is currently engaged in a government-sponsored "great debate" about its national identity.
A prominent group of right-wing MPs have already slammed the plans as "a half-law" and are pushing for a complete ban. They say the veil is completely at odds with France's principles of secularism, freedom and equality. The latest opinion poll shows they have the backing of almost three-quarters of French citizens.
Critics of the proposed ban say it will stigmatise France's 5 million-strong Muslim population and create more social tension. They also point out that, according to French Interior Ministry statistics, just a tiny proportion of the country's Muslim women - 1,900 in total - wear a full veil.
The proposed partial ban will have be turned into draft legislation and go before the parliament for debate before it can become law, a process that is likely to generate still more controversy every step of the way.
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by Sue Hudson
30.01.2010
United Kingdom