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Latest update: 07/03/2011
- Burqa - France
Ban on wearing face veils to come into effect April
French authorities will begin enforcing a new ban on wearing full Islamic veils in public in April, officials said Thursday. Women wearing coverings that hide the face will be asked to remove them or pay a fine.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - France will start enforcing a ban next month on full Islamic face veils, officials said on Thursday, meaning any veiled woman can be summoned to a police station and asked to remove her face-covering or pay a fine.
Officials say the law is mainly symbolic and police will not call in every veiled woman they see to avoid stigmatising Muslims.
But a Paris imam said forcing veiled women to present themselves at a police station would be just as uncomfortable.
When France passed the ban on full face veils last year, Muslim leaders voiced concern it could lead to veiled women being unfairly treated by police or singled out for harassment.
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"My gut reaction is to say this is all a bit clumsy," said Moussa Niambele, the imam of a mosque in the north of Paris.
The ban forbids wearing any garment concealing the face in a public space, namely the street, public transport, shops, schools, courtrooms, hospitals and government buildings.
From April 11, police are instructed to summon veil-wearers to a station, where they will be asked to remove the garment for "identification" and leave it off. If the wearer refuses to remove it they will be fined up to 150 euros ($208).
"You are stopped in public by the police and forced to follow them to the station like an undesirable person," Niambele told Reuters. "This is altogether too much ceremony."
France's Muslim community of 5 million is Europe's largest. Fewer than 3,000 women wear the face veil, the goverment says.
As part of its public relations effort, the government has rolled out a website with the URL "uncovered-face.gouv.fr" and printed posters and pamphlets to be passed out in city halls.
"Nobody is allowed, in a public space, to wear a garment designed to conceal their face," says the poster under a picture of "Marianne", a symbolic female figure of the French Republic.
The ban comes into force as President Nicolas Sarkozy is putting a special focus on Islam and its role in a secular society ahead of a presidential election in 2012.
Some critics have dismissed the ban as a purely political instrument, given the rarity of veil wearers in France.
Concerns the ban could lead to humiliation for Muslims were underscored last year when a French woman attacked a veiled Emirati tourist at a luxury boutique invoking the planned ban.
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(29) Reactions
Religious symbolism
Bee-keepers outfit?! Very funny Anonyme @ 04/03/2011 - 13:56.
I am a foreigner, but I understand this law. A cultural norm is being enforced.
What I find extreme is the official French hostility to much milder forms of public expression of religious affiliation. Headscarves, crucifix/cross jewlery, religious skullcaps forbidden in schools and other public institutions, is that true? Why are these symbols so troubling? It sounds like discrimination in favor of non-believers.
This law can be lifted when
This law can be lifted when the muslim countries allow mini skirt be worn in those countries.
If a person choose to not let a face-seeing community see her face, then the community can choose to remove this person from their midst or remove the obstruction to seeing the face.
You come to France, please follow French custom, otherwise please go back to your face-covering muslim country. If you do not like French custom, why come here ? Simple right ?
BAN THE VEIL !!!!! THE SMARTEST THING SARKOZY HAS DONE AND ALL EU COUNTRIES SHOULD FOLLOW !!!!!
Excellent site, keep up the good work
Great site, keep up the good work, my colleagues would love this. I read plenty of blogs every day, and for the most part people lack substance, but not in this case. I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog, I'm gonna bookmark this www.france24.com web site. Thanks
cover over your face
integrate if you are in france,uk or anywhere else,if you want to be in these places you have to move with the times,women should not go around with there faces undercover we are all awear of the reasons why,come on make the effort.
Bravo France
Heartfelt congratulations to the people of France.
Just wish the Australians had the same guts as you all.
Double Standards
I think it is great that France is taking this stand!! If a western women visit their country and walk around in short pants, she will be arrested for indecency. Western woman follow their rules, so they should abide by western countries rules. Well done France.
law is law
sure France is not Arabian country,this is very logic i dona't want this in my country simple like that.There are some countries they don't allow women to wear trousers and nothing happened.When Hilary clinton went to Pakistan she covered her head according to their law and nothing happened,therefore france policemen carry on your duties anybody covers her face should arrested and fine.Basic
Islamic veil
it is absurd that foreigners living or visiting France sholud use full face veils. If these women are so puritan, why not leave France and move to Saudi Arabia where they can enjoy their love for burqa and full face veil. They should either adapt to their foster country or just say good bye, they were never invited to France. I think it is just a mental disorder among some people to show that they are Muslim. No Islam demands such harsh face covering. If they are so Islamic, they should migrate to other countries where they can practice their burqa. I do not agree with these so-called purists. I am a practicing Muslim but I do not advocate such veils. Yes, women must cover their bodies without showing their limbs or body curves and can dress in a manner acceptable to all. No one asks them to wear the trendy dress displayed on cat-walks or fashion boutiques.
This is pretty horrible, I’m
This is pretty horrible, I’m not for the religion or anything but I am for equality and this definitely takes away from that. I mean that’s what they believe in it’s their choice it’s not like it is hurting anyone, nor should it offend anyone. I understand the security reasons and all but this is an insult to their sex as well as their religion. Well I guess if they want to wear veils they should move to a country where they allow these to be worn.
face coverings
The Tuareg people of the Sahara are Muslim. In their culture the men cover the face while the women go unveiled. I wonder how they will deal with this.