12 April 2012

One year of France's burka ban yields 20 fines and no men prosecuted

The French ministry of the interior says police stopped and checked some 354 women since the law was passed. With 299 reports filed, about 20 people were given fines of up to 150 euros each.

While the interior ministry said the law had been applied with care, those on the receiving end – eseentially Muslim women wearing the all-covering niqab - have a very different story.

“My nightmare has become a reality,” says one young woman in the documentary Outlawed burka. “When you go outside, you're stomach's in knots. You're always looking over your shoulder to see if there's a police car nearby , always worried about being insulted. [RFI English] Read more