You may except the impassioned rhetoric surrounding France's so-called "burqa ban" to come from the women who actually wear them, but in fact it's mainstream politicians who are making all the noise.
President Nicolas Sarkozy describes the full Islamic veil as "a sign of enslavement and debasement". Immigration minister Eric Besson calls it a "walking coffin". Even the usually restrained prime minister François Fillon accuses wearers of "hijacking Islam" and displaying a "dark sectarian image". [Guardian Cif] Read more
