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Top
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PM pitches for urgent action to root out
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Backward Federation for quota within quota in Women Reservation Bill:
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Paris:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday ordered legislation
that would ban women from wearing Islamic veils that hide the face
in the street and other public places.
In seeking to forbid the garment from public view, Sarkozy defied
the advise of experts sought by the government who warned that such
a broad ban risked contravening France's constitution.
Such a measure would put France on the same track as Belgium which
is also moving toward a complete ban in a similar reaction to the
intrusion of Islamic culture on native European values. Sarkozy has
repeatedly said that such clothing oppresses women and is "not
welcome" in France.
Government spokesman Luc Chatel said after Wednesday's weekly
Cabinet meeting that the president decided the government should
submit a bill to parliament in May on an overall ban on burqa-like
veils "in all public places."
The decision to seek a full ban, rather than a limited ban, came as
a surprise. After a Cabinet meeting just a week ago, the government
spokesman announced a decision for legislation that bans the veil
but takes into account conclusions on the matter by the Council of
State, France's highest administrative office.
The government had sought the council's opinion to ensure a law
would pass constitutional muster. The Council of State advised that
a full ban would be "legally very fragile."
A six-month parliamentary inquiry also concluded that a full ban
would raise constitutional issues, as well as enforcement problems.
"It's a transgression, an aggression even, on the level of personal
liberty," said Abdellatif Lemsibak, a member of the National
Federation of Muslims of France. "The Muslims have the right to an
orthodox expression of their religion ... it shocks me."
France is a firmly secular country but has western Europe's largest
Muslim population, estimated at some 5 million. France worries about
clashes in values as well as about a spread of radical Islam.
Authorities widely see the veil in light of gender equality and
security issues.
In neighboring Belgium, a similar initiative for a ban on full veils
in public places, including in the streets, is expected to become
law in July.
Muslim leaders in France say that the face-covering veil is not a
religious requirement of Islam but have cautioned against banning
the garment.
The government spokesman said the French president considered that
burqa-style veils that hide the face, such as niqabs, "do not pose a
problem in a religious sense, but threaten the dignity of women."
France outlawed Muslim headscarves and other "ostentatious"
religious symbols from classrooms in 2004 after a marathon
parliamentary debate and, "we are acting in the same way today. We
have decided to legislate," Chatel said.
Numerous school girls wore headscarves in class, but only a tiny
minority of women wear the all-covering veil.
Nevertheless, debate on the question of whether a law is needed and
how far it should reach has continued for nearly a year.
Muslim leaders say that the debate itself has stigmatized Muslims,
as has a national debate on the French identity.
Even within Sarkozy's own conservative UMP party, the question of
forbidding face-covering veils in streets is divisive.
One of the party's leading lawmakers, Jean-Francois Cope, had
already filed his own preliminary bill for a global ban on the
garments - which should be superseded by the government's. Cope
called Sarkozy's decision "wise" and said the government needs to
move rapidly "so the French know that, on this point, we are truly
determined." Cope, speaking to reporters, suggested the law should
be passed by the end of July - but followed by a six-month
consultation period before it is applied.
Sarkozy insisted that "everything should be done so that no one
feels stigmatized," Chatel said without elaborating.
The French Parliament is already slated to discuss a nonbinding
resolution on May 11 that sets out political principles, including
the need for women to keep their faces uncovered.
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