French parliamentary leader unveils ‘Burka ban’ plan
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French MPs will this month be presented with a proposal aimed at banning the wearing of the burka and niqab, following a long running debate within French parliament and society.
If passed the controversial proposal would punish those caught wearing the Islamic dress with a €750 fine, while a higher penalty would be reserved for those found guilty of forcing a woman to don the garment.
The burka is a dress made from felt or karakul covering the whole body with a net screen covering the eyes, while the niqab is a full body veil with eye slits worn by some women as part of sartorial hijab. Hijab is clothing worn to cover a woman as instructed by the Koran.
The draft legislation, unveiled by Jean-François Copé who heads the governing UMP party, will be formally presented in the next two weeks and should come up for debate in parliament after the March regional elections.
Explaining his views on the burka Mr Copé wrote in Paris newspaper Le Figaro, "There are principles at stake: extremists are putting the republic to the test by promoting a practice that they know is contrary to the basic principles of our country."
The parliamentary leader’s views can be compared to comments made by President Sarkozy who last year claimed that the burka “will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic.”
Only 1,900 women wear the full veil in France according to the Interior Ministry and critics argue that a full ban is unnecessary.
However, this is not the first time that a contentious measure has been proposed regarding Islamic dress in France. Five years ago France banned the wearing of headscarves in public buildings including both schools and offices.
