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Latest update: 08/10/2010
- Burqa - France - Islamic veil - justice
Judge expels fully veiled woman from court's public gallery
The day after a law banning the wearing of the full Islamic veil in public places cleared the final legal hurdle, a French judge told a woman sitting in a court's public gallery to remove her veil or leave the premises.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - A French court on Friday expelled a woman from the public gallery for wearing the full Islamic veil, the day after a law banning the garment cleared its final hurdle, an AFP correspondent reported.
"Those people whose faces are visible are allowed to remain in the room wearing their headscarves. However, not that woman in the front row with only the eyes visible," said the presiding judge.
"She is asked to leave the room or take off her veil," she said during the hearing at Bobigny, northeast of Paris, in the case of two men accused of breaking into the home of a local imam who was in favour of the burqa ban.
"I'm not surprised. I was expecting it, but I still took the risk," the expelled woman told AFP afterwards, identifying herself only as a 35-year-old from the nearby neighbourhood of Saint Denis.
France's Constitutional Council on Thursday approved a bill banning the wearing of full-face veils in public, adding that the ban would be unenforceable in public places of worship, where it may violate religious freedoms.
The bill, which aims to protect women's rights but has been criticised as stigmatising Muslims, has been passed by both houses of parliament and is due to come into effect next year.
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(6) Reactions
BAN THE BURQA
Banning full face coverings in public and other potentially sensitive situations makes common sense. If criminals cover their faces when committing crimes to hide their identity, why should anyone be allowed to do the same whenever they please?
I know this ban originally had little to do with crime, but when a person refuses to remove a face covering when taking a photo used for identification, as for a driver's license, it's time to draw a line.
I believe the reason behind this ban is because muslims were getting "too excited" to see other muslim's in the street wearing the traditional coverings and garb from their country. I understand the wish of the new country for its immigrants to respect it's laws and customs MORE THAN those of the country left behind.
The reinforcement of attitudes of Muslims who appear to want to mold their new country into a copy of the one they left is seen as a threat to the citizens of the new country, in this case, FRANCE.
I'm 100% behind this ban and I realize a lot must have transpired to push France to the point of making such a law. From what I've read the attitude of Muslims in France and other European countries has led to this extreme measure.
If immigrants miss the country they left so much they need to seriously consider returning "home". To make their new country "home", they need to be comfortable with the customs and laws of the new home. If they cannot do this, then they need to return to the place where they have this comfort.
It's all about common sense.
Burqa ban
I is not the law AGAINST the wearing of the burqa in public places that sigmatises women but the WEARING of the burqa is what stigmatises women since this is NOT a requirement of the Muslim religion but only a "fashion" statement requirement by Muslim men!
banned veils from public gallary
in as much as legislature endevours to protect citizens from the ruthless attacks by unkown people,the judges decision was premature because the law has not been operationalised. thwe honourable judge got carried-way.
The necessity of a law like
The necessity of a law like this cannot be argued. However controversial the law may be, it is a vital step towards insuring the safety of citizens. The full Islamic veil completely disguises a person’s identity and puts citizens in danger. With escalating tension in Europe, it is a great thing to see France is doing what it takes to ease its citizen’s minds. And in this case the court was simply following the law that the woman was clearly breaking. It is a shame that no such law could ever be passed in the United States.
burka ban
Its about time a law like this was passed. Just wish the same law was passed in the UK
Cheeky
They are testing the new law already.