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France commission begins hearing proposed burqa ban testimony

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] A commission created by the French National Assembly began hearings Wednesday to consider whether to enact laws banning the wearing of burqas or other "full veils." The commission heard testimony from anthropologist Dounia Bouzar who suggested that a broad ban on covering one's face to conceal identity is preferable to a law that singles out Muslims. Bouzar said that the recent popularity of the burqa amongst French Muslims was due to religious "gurus" who have misconstrued the teachings of Islam. The commission also heard from University of Nice philosopher Abdennour Bidar, who urged the commission to find a way to prevent the spread of the practice, though he was unsure whether this goal is best accomplished through legislation. The commission was established last month, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy strongly criticized the practice, saying that "the burqa is not welcome in France." The controversy between the Muslim community and the French government over the burqa has existed for several years. In December 2008, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) unanimously ruled that there was no human rights violation when a French school expelled two students for refusing to remove their headscarves. Last July, a Muslim woman's citizenship application was denied because she failed to assimilate to French culture and she practiced a type of Islam found incompatible with French values. In 2004, France passed a law banning students from conspicuous religious items, including Muslim headscarves, in schools.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 09, 2009 (boomark / email).