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| Europe |
| Top legal body in France OKs ban of niqab in public |
| 2010-10-07 |
| France's top legal authority Thursday approved a law banning full-face veils in public, the last hurdle for the ban, which aims to protect women's rights but has been criticized as stigmatizing Mohammedans. The Constitutional Council, which had previously warned that banning the veil may be unconstitutional, said it approved the version of the bill which has been passed by both houses of parliament, after a final review. It judged however that the ban, due to enter force early next year, would be unenforceable in public places of worship, where it may violate religious freedoms. "The ban on covering the face in public places cannot constrain the practice of religious freedom in places of worship that are open to the public," the council said in its judgment. Apart from this, the council "judged that the law conforms to the constitution," it wrote. The text makes no mention of Islam, but President Nicolas Sarkozy's government promoted the law as a means to protect women from being forced to wear Mohammedan full-face veils such as the burqa or the niqab. Prime Minister Francois Fillon immediately hailed the judgment as "an important decision to affirm the values of the Republic with respect for freedom of conscience and religion," in a statement. The ban prohibits anyone from covering their face in public, defined broadly to include not just government buildings and public transport, but all streets, markets and thoroughfares, private businesses and entertainment venues. Opponents say it breaches French and European human rights legislation. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 first one in a suicide vest costume may not make it through the night/or off my driveway |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-10-07 19:02 |
| #2 Can women wear a Naughty Niqab outfit in public on Halloween? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-10-07 15:06 |
| #1 I Recommend scrutinizing their financs VERY CLOSELY. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-10-07 14:30 |