Women who wear burkas in France face £700 fine

[AnGrz_Z_K_Jailer]

Women who wear the burka in public will be fined £700 under laws being considered in France.

By Henry Samuel in Paris
Published: 6:22PM GMT 07 Jan 2010

MPs will vote on the proposal this month after a long impassioned debate over the merits of outlawing the burka and niqab.

Jean-François Copé, parliamentary leader of President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP group, said the 750 euro fine would apply to anyone whose face is "fully covered in public".

Wearing either would be tolerated only in exceptional circumstances, such as "cultural events or carnivals," he added.

The bill proposes introducing an even heavier penalty for anyone who forces a woman to wear the full veil, Mr Copé said in an interview with the Le Figaro magazine.

The burka is a full-body covering with a mesh screen over the eyes while the niqab is a full-body veil with eye slits.

Mr Copé insists the law is based on public safety and sexual equality considerations and does not restrict religious practices.

"We spoke to religious and secular figures who all confirmed [the burka] was not a religious prescription. Wearing the full body veil is about extremists who want to test the republic," he said.

President Sarkozy last year declared the burka a "sign of subservience and debasement that imprison women" and said it was "not welcome on French soil".

But he is said to be undecided as to whether to back the law or a non-binding "resolution" that would make wearing the garments contrary to French values but not a punishable offence.

Mr Copé has left both options on the table by drawing up a resolution regarding women's rights and a law on security in tandem.

The burka discussion has intensified amid a heated debate on French identity organised by Mr Sarkozy's immigration minister, Eric Besson. The debate has focused heavily on immigration and Islam in a country with five million Muslims.

Fadela Amara, the urban affairs minister, a women's rights activist and a Muslim, recently labelled the burka a "walking coffin".

Michelle Alliot-Marie, the justice minister, said last week that Muslim men seeking French citizenship and whose wives wore the garment were not welcome. She said they would "not appear to be sharing the values of our country." The opposition Socialists this week came out against a law banning the burka – even though they remain firmly opposed to the garment.

"The burka is a prison for women and has no place in the French Republic. But an ad hoc law would not have the anticipated effect," said their spokesman, Benoît Hamon.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the veteran leader of the far-Right National Front, said a ban was unnecessary as it is already "forbidden to walk the streets and public spaces with a mask on".

Interior ministry figures suggest that around 2,000 women in France wear full Muslim dress in public.

France passed a law in 2004 banning students and staff from wearing "conspicuous" religious symbols in schools – including veils – to defend secularism.

In September a French mother was banned from wearing a full-body "burkini" bathing suit at her local swimming pool. She was told it contravened hygiene regulations but pledged to take her local council to court, saying the decision was political.

In July, al-Qaeda leaders in north African issued a call to arms against France on an Islamic extremist website.

"We will seek dreadful revenge on France by all means at our disposal, for the honour of our daughters and sisters," they warned.

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-who-wear-burkas-in-France-face-700-fine.html

Members your comments & criticism please ...

 

[Hari]

Those who want to wear Burqa should be allowed to do so. But Those who forces one to wear Burqa should be heavily punished.

 

[AnGrz_Z_K_Jailer]

Fair enough ... Basically France is a decomcratic nation, They should considered the basic "religion rights" before implementing such law .What do you think?

regards
Jailer

 

[ek_indian]

I do not support this government dicision. It is an invasion in privacy or personal choice.

People should be free to decide what to wear and what not to wear except when it comes under undecency. In any free society, people has the right to make their personal choice.

This decision will uncessary create distrust between two communities. This decision should be criticiszed by all goverments. Other nation should pressurize France govt to revoke the order.

 

[Creder]

eh its the french... They were born to discriminate

 

[Dawkins]

Some nations are plain panicky in nature. They have a certain way of going about their life and may find things outside their normal realm of life as extremist .. the Swiss minaret story and now this

 

[forcetrip]

As long as they dont chop off their heads like we do here if you dont wear one. Their country.. their rules.. nothing democratic about the world right now.. only words on paper..

 

[PWFI]

Women who wear the burka in public will be fined £700 under laws being considered in France.

Currency used by french peoples= € and not £

 

[pak-yes]

Leaving aside UK everyone is afraid of ISLAM in Europe .I don't know by implementing these types of laws how does the west claim they are the champions of human rights.What about the rights of the women who wear Burka because they love their Faith. Do they don't have any rights.

 

[Awesome]

As long as they dont chop off their heads like we do here if you dont wear one. Their country.. their rules.. nothing democratic about the world right now.. only words on paper..

Its against their freedom. If a woman wants to wear it, its her call. However she shouldn't be forced to wear it. The only way I'd understand this is if there was some security concern which there isn't.

 

[FreekiN]

I agree with France, Burka's arent even a Islamic invention as they existed before Islam and it is a persian custom. I think most women who wear burkas ARE oppressed, I mean, let's face it, they have the option of being less boxed up and still comply with Islam perfectly, the Hijab, but for some reason they take the burka? Not saying some take the choice, but most of them probably are forced or pressured into wearing it.

 

[Creder]

I agree with France, Burka's arent even a Islamic invention as they existed before Islam and it is a persian custom. I think most women who wear burkas ARE oppressed, I mean, let's face it, they have the option of being less boxed up and still comply with Islam perfectly, the Hijab, but for some reason they take the burka? Not saying some take the choice, but most of them probably are forced or pressured into wearing it.

islamic invention ? lady get ur facts straight.....muslim women were told to cover up because when they would go out the kuffar would tease and taunt them....when they were asked about their actions the kuffar would say that we cant tell if its a muslim woman or not...muslim women were then told to cover up so that they wouldn't be the object of the kuffar's ridicule.

Wearing it is a personal choice, if someone wants to wear it let them wear it... forcing it or forcing someone not to wear it, both are acts of discrimination.

 

[Awesome]

I agree with France, Burka's arent even a Islamic invention as they existed before Islam and it is a persian custom. I think most women who wear burkas ARE oppressed, I mean, let's face it, they have the option of being less boxed up and still comply with Islam perfectly, the Hijab, but for some reason they take the burka? Not saying some take the choice, but most of them probably are forced or pressured into wearing it.

Prove it and fight it on a case by case basis. You cannot dictate what a woman can and cannot wear. That includes banning the Burkha.

 

[Kompromat]

I agree with France, Burka's arent even a Islamic invention as they existed before Islam and it is a persian custom. I think most women who wear burkas ARE oppressed, I mean, let's face it, they have the option of being less boxed up and still comply with Islam perfectly, the Hijab, but for some reason they take the burka? Not saying some take the choice, but most of them probably are forced or pressured into wearing it.

Any statics , research ? ?????

You can choose for your sisters / mother / wife whoever is the female with you not to wear hijab if you think it OPRESSES!!!

The girls who wear hijab have a religion called " Islam" i don't know if you have heard of it or not & their religion asks them to wear hijab for many " Good " reasons.

Stop BSing!!

 

[FreekiN]

islamic invention ? lady get ur facts straight.....muslim women were told to cover up because when they would go out the kuffar would tease and taunt them....when they were asked about their actions the kuffar would say that we cant tell if its a muslim woman or not...muslim women were then told to cover up so that they wouldn't be the object of the kuffar's ridicule.

Wearing it is a personal choice, if someone wants to wear it let them wear it... forcing it or forcing someone not to wear it, both are acts of discrimination.

So your saying everything is hunkey-dorey and no one is being oppressed? You think that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM wear it by choice? YOU need to get your facts straight because covering up is NOT just for the 'infidels' only. If the whole world was Muslim then there would be no covering up?

If they wear it by choice, fine no problem. But if they are forced then that needs serious attention. Throwing acid on someone's face just because they refused to wear something they didnt want to IS NOT justifiable.