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Latest update: 15/09/2010
- France - Islamic veil - law
Parliament approves ban on full veil in public
French senators have overwhelmingly approved a bill to ban women from wearing a full veil in public. The ban will come into force in spring 2011 if it is approved by France's Constitutional Council.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - The French parliament passed a law Tuesday prohibiting wearing a full-face veil in public, meaning a ban will come into force early next year if it is not overturned by senior judges.
The Senate passed the bill by 246 votes to one and, having already cleared the lower house in July, the bill will now be reviewed by the Constitutional Council, which has a month to confirm its legality.
The text makes no mention of Islam, but President Nicolas Sarkozy's government promoted the law as a means to protect women from being forced to wear Muslim full-face veils such as the burqa or the niqab.
Once in force, the law provides for a six-month period of "education" to explain to women already wearing a face veil that they face arrest and a fine if they continue to do so in any public space.
A woman who chooses to defy the ban will receive a fine of 150 euros (195 dollars) or a course of citizenship lessons. A man who forces a woman to go veiled will be fined 30,000 euros and serve a jail term.
"This is not about security or religion, but respecting our republican principles," Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie declared before the vote.
"France, land of secularism, guarantees respect for all religions (but) hiding the face under a face-covering veil is against public social order, whether it is forced or voluntary," she said.
Some other European countries are mulling similar bans, but critics of the law in its proposed form believe it is too broadly framed and that it will eventually be overturned as unconstitutional and discriminatory.
The vote comes when some of France's other policies -- especially a drive to round up and expel Roma Gypsies -- have led to accusation of racism, and the tough new law is expected to draw further criticism from rights groups.
The policy also has the rare distinction of being condemned in advance by both the United States and Al-Qaeda, with both US President Barack Obama and Islamist militant Ayman al-Zawahiri criticising it as an insult to Muslims.
While Sarkozy's determination to halt what some here see as the spread of the use of the niqab won enough votes in parliament, opponents argue it breaches French and European human rights legislation.
The bill defines public space very broadly, including not just government buildings and public transport, but all streets, markets and thoroughfares, private businesses and entertainment venues.
Similar laws are pending in Belgium, Spain and some Italian municipalities, but the ban is particularly sensitive in France, whose often rundown city suburbs are home to Europe's biggest Muslim minority.
Critics say the law exploits a non-problem -- only about 1,900 women among France's five to six million Muslims wear a full veil -- and panders to anti-Muslim sentiment while distracting from France's economic woes.
Most French Muslims come from France's former colonies in North and West Africa, where wearing the veil is rare, rather than from the Arabian peninsula or Pakistan, where niqabs and burqas are a cultural tradition.
Some Muslim leaders say they support steps to discourage women from wearing the full veil, but that a law would unfairly stigmatise a vulnerable group.
Mindful that a law with a broad scope might be struck down by the European Court of Human Rights, which protects religious freedoms, Sarkozy's own ruling party asked for the text to be examined by the Constitutional Council.
Nevertheless, the ban enjoys broad popular support. An international poll conducted in April and May by the Washington-based Pew Research Center found that more than eight in 10 French voters supported a ban.
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Comments (20)
Frances new law & great cajones
romantic symbolism aside: to wear the veil, to become invisible is a necessity of day-to-day survival in your own country -filled with misogyny, restricted rights & freedoms & (ignored) violence perpetrated against women every day.
In other countries with equality, freedom, liberty & protection by law you can remove the veil -no need to hide here. Sometimes people must be forced to do what is right before they understand the why of it. Bravo France!! The pendulum is swinging.
ps. True religion lives within you & cannot be taken by removing a veil.
silly
this is silly. if a woman wants to wear burga or nicab, let her. it's her choice. if she is coerced by anyone into doing that, let her file a complaint for discrimination or coercion, and the government should step in to help her. otherwise, let her be. why should the government coerce women into not wearing a piece of cloth over their heads and cover their faces if they simply want to? this law is not meant to help women, rather it is an arrogant way of displaying distorted beliefs. stop the hypocrisy and just state the real purpose of the law: TO DISCRIMINATE, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
Hijab Wearing
If it is ok for Islamic countries to tell women what they can and can't wear in public such as a bikini or tube top then what's wrong with another country banning the veil in public?
the veil wear is anti human rights and civil rights...ban the ve
The veil is illegal to wear in public ...it is anti social and anti civil behavior and as for the scarf...wearing a scarf should be nothing more than a personal fashion choice...the state of iran, saudi arabia or any other muslim state or indoctrinated religion... cannot force a citizen to wear or enforce anything...a veil or a scarf if the individual doesn't want to...and is against one own civil and human rights.
Burkha ban in France
Good on the French! It is about time that Europe woke up and smell the coffee.
When westerners travel to Islamic countries, we are expected to accept and respect their rules and Law. I have no problem with that, but when Muslims come to Western countries they are not happy to repect our Law and traditions. What happened to "when in Rome, do like the Romans"?
Once the Muslims accept that they cannot have their bread buttered on both sides,the problem will be solved. Wear the Burkha if you like, but wear in an Islamic country ruled by Sharia law. If they dont like our way if dress - go back to to where there fashions are acceptable.
Burka v iphone
Forget the burka ban the iphone. It seems that's all most people have in life and go around holding it like it was some religious icon and the most important thing in their lives.
Burqas and niqabs, oh my!
That the current US government opposed the ban makes me believe the ban to be a great idea. Bien faites!
Unenforceable?
What about full beards? Halloween masks? Ski masks? Heavy makeup? How about prosthetic face coverings? Dust masks?
How about men? Large bandages? Non-Islamic veils?
Horray for France: I live in
Horray for France: I live in upstate New York, Saratoga County. I speak French too. Let me know when you're going and I'll go with ya !
Ban the burca
Good move! I support Sarkozy!
I remember writing a paper
I remember writing a paper for a class on this ban being proposed, and now I have to write a paper on the ban being passed. These are from two different classes during two different school years. Weird, right?
BRAVO FRANCE! EUROPEAN
BRAVO FRANCE! EUROPEAN VALUES , AND SECULARISM!
Hooray for France
I am a USA citizen and I applaud France's bold steps. Perhaps I should move there since I know the language. The USA certainly is no longer the land that I grew up loving.
Banning the veil in France
And how many of those 1,900 women are FORCED to wear that veil? This is about women's rights, it's nothing to do with 'racism', or religion, or Muslim 'law', or French security. Nowhere in the Koran does it state that women have to be totally covered, it states that women ARE EQUAL to men, although many are not treated that way. Seems that is not good enough for most Muslim men and they have to twist it to suit themselves.
Burka Ban
I think there is a growing clash between European valves of openness and democracy and the restricted closed world of the middle east.France as a right to ensure it keeps its national identity so it is not slowly lost.
full veil ban
Some people say that banning the full veil is discriminatory, but extremists who force (or brainwash) women into wearing the full veil are the ones discriminating. When Muslim men wear the full veil,too, then I will accept the veil as being ok.
Wow...
OK - Where is the society heading. If I understand this correctly, only the Niqaab and Burqa are banned - both are covering of the face. But it is OK to be wearing a bikini and a top in public. I see how well the modesty of a women is kept.
OK France - I come to your country wearing a burqa - but when I land there I take it off - so i will be in a top and bikini. Is that fine.
Thank you
Modest Woman of USA
public veil ban
...YES! this is necessary for so many reasons. the fines make sense. and who knows, it may be the first step toward enlightenment......colorado, usa
France banks veil
Congratulations France.
the burqas and niqabs
So the USA does not approve of the ban, yet they have banned FOR LIFE a drunken 17 year old who sent a rude email the Obama!
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