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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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Comments (29)
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.
veils
It is wrong to put a ban on women to not wear their veils because it is a tradition to their culture. Just because they no longer live in their country does not mean France should try to assimliate them into their society. The women who wear their veils cause no harm to society and it is only humilating for them to have to follow and officer and be asked to take it off or pay a fine. It is truly wrong and demoralizes these women. They should be allowed the choice to wear them because for some women it is a symbol of their traditions and religion. This is going to cause these women to feel targeted by society and could cause other women who do not wear their veils to attack the women who do and perhaps look down upon them. It will also cause for people to not accept these women into society which is wrong.
well done , France !
well done , France !
Veils
The reasoning seems pretty clear-cut. If I were to show up at the local 5&10 or at my daughter's school wearing a bandana over my face you can pretty much gauantee that I would - rightfully - be scarfed-up and questioned. Duh...
french quoi de neuf?
madame's class :D
Psychological testing
Perhaps Western countries need to give people counseling and testing to see if they are capable and willing to integrate into Western society. They should not be here if they just want to gold dig.
away with repressions
sound policy,women life was dectated by dictator sharia
atleast they will feel free
burka
Let's ask why they need to be fully covered. Could it because the men can't control themselves so they feel its the woman's fault.
The covered faces
Bravo, well said 'Ponam', totally agree with your comments.
Egalitarian
This policy is entirely reasonable as, of all Western nations, France has most held to the ideals of freedom and egalitarianism. While other nations, particularly the US, have allowed religion to supersede civil rights, this law promotes equal treatment of women if applied without harassment or humiliation.
Veil
There's going to be a lot of motorcyclists to catch...
Veils
When in Rome...
If the law offends, then move to where the veil can be worn outdoors. I am sure France will not stop you leaving!
Tricky situation, security
Tricky situation, security and identification is important 4 sure, yet I also feel for the women as they already live under Sharia law and their lives are heavily controlled and restricted by the men already.I hope this law leads to greater freedoms for the women instead of further restrictions on them. I hope the men who are the ones who primarily make the women cover themselves, change their minds when it costs them their money. Pray for these poor women.
Above article
I think it's a good thing, and finally a European country is showing courage and standing up for it's own society, traditions, and way of life, it's has been too long that European politicians have pandered to Muslims on the continent, such that if they didn't get their way the called their host country racist, a guest should respect his host, and let us be frank, when westerners live in Muslim countries they had better follow the rules or face extreme legal sanctions, even violence and death.
Veils
I think the French have it right here. If I ran around in a ski mask (while not skiing) it would be a problem here in the US. Certainly the police would ask for ID and to please remove the mask so they could confirm my identity. That bee keeper's outfit muslim men see fit to dress their women up in is a full blown disguise. ANYONE could be under that thing. I am pretty sure running around in a Halloween costume is suspicious activity 364 out of 365 days of the year. It is also more than a little degrading to the woman. People who get sucked in by a cult always claim it is "free will" but at the end of the day what does it say about one's attitude towards women when one forces them to wear a full body, black covering in a desert climate?
Ban burkas then the crucifix
Muslims force their views on women and Christians force their views on us. Hopefully France has the balls to ban the Crucifix next.
Or at least they ban bras. I mean women shouldn't be forced by decency to wear them at the beach, so ban them.
there is no "humiliation" if the law is respected
well, it 's pretty easy, I can see how unconfortable it would be to be taken off the street and brought to the police station ( where you would find a majority of men ) to unveil. To avoid that "humiliation", one simply has to respect the law and start with not be veiled in public places, or even just unveil on the spot ( but not veil again immediatly after seeing the police gone ).
Why is it so complicated for people to understand that France is a laic country and no outward sign of religion in public places is allowed ? The muslims are not the only one concerned, they are not "targeted" or "stigmatised", the law is the same for every one, regardless of the religion.
ALRIGHT FRANCE!!!
Nice to see France has grown a pair!
Bravo!
Bravo!
the coverred faces
Though I fully suport on the believes of those who are belong to a certain religions, we have to be under the law of the country we live.The question is why the other people of the same religious can show her beautiful face in the public.You can practice your practices at home,not in the public where
the security is its national first priority.
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