The battle of the burqa has reached a fever pitch.
In its first legislative step toward a total ban on the controversial Islamic veil, France voted unanimously in favor of a formal resolution calling the garment "an affront to French values," the Telegraph reports.
Following in the footsteps of Belgium, which recently voted for a total burqa ban in public, French politicians approved the resolution yesterday, which comes ahead of a vote in July to enact a complete ban, according to the paper.
"Radical practices which violate the dignity and equality between men and women, such as the wearing of the full veil, are contrary to the values of the republic," the resolution reportedly states.
As we've previously reported, a total veil ban would levy fines and possible jail time against burqa-wearing women and the men who force their wives to wear the face-covering garment.
It has also been announced that well-off Middle Eastern tourists who wear burqas while visiting Paris' luxury boutiques will also reportedly be subject to hefty fines.
And while politicians insist that their tough stance against the burqa is a security, not a religious issue, human rights activists and Muslim advocates claim that such a ban would violate personal and religious freedoms while ostracizing Muslim women.
What's your take? Would you like to see a similar ban in the United States? Or are you opposed to the government having a say on what you can and cannot wear? Leave a comment.
Meanwhile, learn more about Belgium's burqa ban.
By Erin Donnelly
In its first legislative step toward a total ban on the controversial Islamic veil, France voted unanimously in favor of a formal resolution calling the garment "an affront to French values," the Telegraph reports.
Following in the footsteps of Belgium, which recently voted for a total burqa ban in public, French politicians approved the resolution yesterday, which comes ahead of a vote in July to enact a complete ban, according to the paper.
"Radical practices which violate the dignity and equality between men and women, such as the wearing of the full veil, are contrary to the values of the republic," the resolution reportedly states.
As we've previously reported, a total veil ban would levy fines and possible jail time against burqa-wearing women and the men who force their wives to wear the face-covering garment.
It has also been announced that well-off Middle Eastern tourists who wear burqas while visiting Paris' luxury boutiques will also reportedly be subject to hefty fines.
And while politicians insist that their tough stance against the burqa is a security, not a religious issue, human rights activists and Muslim advocates claim that such a ban would violate personal and religious freedoms while ostracizing Muslim women.
What's your take? Would you like to see a similar ban in the United States? Or are you opposed to the government having a say on what you can and cannot wear? Leave a comment.
Meanwhile, learn more about Belgium's burqa ban.
By Erin Donnelly
