UNCOVER THE COVER

Uncover the Cover

Paris, France- The French Senate has passed a law that bans any burquas (full body coverings), and veils that cover the face worn by Muslims.

CNN wire staff says, “The law passed by a vote of 246 to 1, with about 100 abstentions coming essentially from left-leaning politicians.” France is the first country to pass such a law. Many citizens of France are very supportive of this act at a rations of four to one, found in a survey given on this topic.

CNN wire staff states again, “Some 82 percent of people polled approved of a ban, while 17 percent disapproved. That was the widest support the Washington-based think tank found in any of the five countries it surveyed.

Clear majorities also backed burqa bans in Germany, Britain and Spain, while two out of three Americans opposed it, the survey found.”

The French government enforced the law to have a 150-euro ($190) fine if caught wearing veil or will be fined a citizen course for punishment. Also, if a Muslim woman is forced to wear a veil by another person, that person will be sent to jail for a year or 15,000-euro ($19,000) fine. The government calls it, "a new form of enslavement that the republic cannot accept on its soil."

There is a chance however, that this law can go against the International Human Right’s Law warned the French Council of State. The council does not have the power to change this. They are allowed to suggest and warn but they cannot change anything. The government does not have to listen to what the council suggest and can continue with what they are doing with the law.

The ban is for the burqua, which covers the full body plus the covering over the face and the niqab, which covers the whole face besides the eyes. The Muslims wear these items. A hijab, which covers the hair and neck besides the face, is not included in this law as well as the chador, which covers the whole body but not the face.

CNN Wire Staff says, “However, a 2004 law in France bans the wearing or displaying of overt religious symbols in schools -- including the wearing of headscarves by schoolgirls.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life estimates that France has about 3.5 million Muslims, or about 6 percent of the population.

France does not keep its own statistics on religious affiliation of the population, in keeping with its laws requiring the state to be strictly secular.”

Huffington post states the reason for this law and that it is “part of a determined effort to define and protect French values that has disconcerted many in the country's large Muslim community.”

This law will continue to have its issues and oppositions. These issues have been discussed and debated about across many countries including Europe, Spain, and Belgium who are also pushing for this law.

CITATIONS:

Doland, Angela. "France BURQA BAN: French Parliament Approves Ban On Face Veils." The Huffington Post. N.p., 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010. .

Erlinger, Steven. "Parliament Moves France Closer to a Ban on Facial Veils." The New York Times. The Times People, July 13, 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010. .

“France moves toward partial burqa ban." CNN World. CNN, Jan 26, 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010. .

Vandoorne, Saskya. "French senate approves burqa ban." CNN World. CNN, 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010. .