Sarkozy defies legal advice and seeks ban on burkas in street

By SYLVIE CORBET

A BAN on full-face veils being worn in the street and other public places has been ordered by French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

In a surprise move, he defied the advice of experts brought in by the government who warned such a broad ban risked contravening France's constitution.

Government spokesman Luc Chatel said after yesterday's weekly cabinet meeting that the president had decided the 

government should submit a bill to parliament next month on an overall ban on burka-like veils.

"The ban on veils covering the whole face should be general, in every public space, because the dignity of women cannot be put in doubt," Mr Chatel said.

It puts France on the same track as Belgium, which is also moving toward a complete ban in a similar reaction as Islamic culture has come into conflict with native European values. Mr Sarkozy has repeatedly said that such clothing oppresses women and is "not welcome" in France.

But Abdellatif Lemsibak, a member of the National Federation of Muslims of France, said he was shocked. "It's a transgression, an aggression even, on the level of personal liberty," he said. "The Muslims have the right to an orthodox expression of their religion."

The decision to seek a full ban, rather than a limited one, came as a surprise. After a cabinet meeting a week ago, a government spokesman said proposed legislation would take into account conclusions on the matter by the Council of State, France's highest administrative office.

The government had sought the council's opinion to ensure a law would pass constitutional muster, and it advised a full ban would be "legally very fragile."

A six-month parliamentary inquiry also concluded that a complete ban would raise constitutional issues, as well as enforcement problems.

France, a firmly secular country, has western Europe's largest Muslim population, estimated at five million.

People there worry about clashes in values as well as a spread of radical Islam. The authorities widely see the veil in light of gender equality and security issues.

In neighbouring Belgium, a similar initiative for a ban on full veils in public places, including in the streets, is expected to become law in July.

Muslim leaders in France say the face-covering veil is not a religious requirement of Islam but have cautioned against a ban.

The government spokesman said Mr Sarkozy considered burka-style veils that hide the face, such as niqabs, "do not pose a problem in a religious sense but threaten the dignity of women".

France outlawed Muslim headscarves and other "ostentatious" religious symbols from classrooms in 2004 after a marathon parliamentary debate.

Numerous girls wore headscarves in class, but only a tiny minority of women wear the all-covering veil. Nevertheless, debate on the question of whether a law is needed and how far it should reach has continued for nearly a year. Muslim leaders say the debate itself has stigmatised Muslims, as has a national debate on the French identity.

Mr Chatel said Mr Sarkozy had insisted that "everything should be done so that no-one feels stigmatised".

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