France's lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would ban wearing the Islamic full veil in public. There were 335 votes for the bill and only one against in the 557-seat National Assembly. It must now be ratified by the Senate in September to become law.
The ban has strong public support but critics point out that only a tiny minority of French Muslims wear the full veil. Many of the opposition Socialists, who originally wanted the ban limited only to public buildings, abstained from voting after coming under pressure from feminist supporters of the bill. [BBC] Read more
French back burka ban as only ONE MP votes against move to outlaw Islamic 'walking coffins' French MPs voted overwhelmingly yesterday to ban women from wearing burkas. Politicians from across the spectrum united in opposition to Islamic veils that cover a woman's face, which some described as 'walking coffins'.
Deputies in the country's 557-seat lower house, the National Assembly, voted in favour of the ban by 335 votes to one. Far-Left groups such as the Communists joined president Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP party in voting for it, although Social ists and Greens abstained.
Communist MP Andre Gerin said yesterday: 'Talking about liberty to defend the wearing of the full veil is totally cynical - for me, the full veil is a walking coffin, a muzzle. 'The result follows months of heated debate during which immigration minister Eric Besson also described the burka as a 'walking coffin', while prime minister Francois Fillon accused wearers of 'hijacking Islam' and displaying a 'dark sectarian image'. [MailOnline] Read more
France forbids wearing of face-covering veils French lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to ban the wearing of face-covering veils in public spaces, as Europe toughens its approach to integrating Muslim immigrant communities.
On the eve of Bastille Day, when France celebrates the birth of what was to become a staunchly secular republic, the 577-seat National Assembly lower house voted by 335 votes to one for a total ban. The bill will now go to the Senate in September, but opponents of the ban in its proposed form worry that it will eventually be overturned by the judges of the Constitutional Council, France's highest legal body.
For, while President Nicolas Sarkozy's determination to ban the niqab and the burqa won enough political support to carry it, opponents argue that it breaches French and European human rights legislation. [AFP / The Swedish Wire] Read more
French parliament votes to ban the burqa and niqab .... The Daily Express’ front page headline read ‘France votes to ban burkha’ with the strap-line ‘Pressure mounts for Britain to follow suit.’ The Express proceeds to amplifying the views of fringe elements, including backbench Tory MP Phillip Hollobone, who has tabled a private members' bill to outlaw the burqa in Britain, and UKIP leader Lord Pearson – both of whom have made it their business to speak on behalf of Muslim women, without actually having consulted veil-wearing women. [ENGAGE] Read more
