PARIS –
France’s lower house of parliament overwhelmingly approved a ban on wearing burqa-style Islamic veils Tuesday, part of a concerted effort to define and protect French values that has disconcerted many in the country’s large Muslim community.
Proponents of the law say face-covering veils don’t square with the French ideal of women’s equality or its secular tradition. The bill is controversial abroad but popular in France, where its relatively few outspoken critics say
conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy has resorted to xenophobia to attract far-right voters.
The ban on
burqas and niqabs will go in September to the Senate, where it also is likely to pass. Its biggest hurdle will likely come after that, when France’s constitutional watchdog scrutinizes it. Some legal scholars say there is a chance it could be deemed unconstitutional.
Spain and
Belgium have similar bans in the works. In France, which has Europe’s largest Muslim population, about 5 million of the country’s 64 million people are believed to be Muslim. While ordinary headscarves are common in France, only about 1,900 women are believed to wear face-covering veils.
The main body representing French Muslims says such garb is not suitable in France, but it worries that the ban will stigmatize all
29839 Sta Margarita Pkwy, 
Videography by Barbara Rosenfeld 
July 14th, 2010 @ 6:31 am
I think ban on ban on burquas for a very simple reason. How do you tell the difference between a man and a woman or a just a simple suicide bomber.