In the south-eastern French town of Orange, famous for its Roman theatre, a Muslim woman claims she was the subject of discrimination by electoral officials during the second round of the French presidential vote on Sunday.
The woman said she was forced to remove her headscarf as officials said she did not match her photo identification. She has now filed a complaint, L’Express reports.
The woman, Naima El Omar, told local radio: “The gentleman looked at me with an odd look, and said, ‘Madam, you take off your veil, it’s the law, or you do not vote.'”
“I had a scarf, not even a veil. Shirt, sneakers and jeans,” she added.
According to French law, no person is allowed to vote if they are covering their face with a veil or a mask, as the electoral officials would not be able to identify them. When it comes to headscarves and other religious items, the electoral law does not say they are banned as long as the individual’s face is visible.
In 2010, France banned the full-face Islamic veil, which includes the burqa and the niqab, but the headscarf – or hijab – is still permissible to wear in public. [Breitbart London] Read more
