France stops short of full ban on burqa

France moved closer to restrictions on the wearing of the burqa when a parliamentary commission issued a report on the 26 January 2010 proposing a ban on the garment in all public services facilities, including transport.

The commission’s report stops short of recommending a complete public ban on the head-to-toe covering, which conceals the face, wanted by many politicians. Instead, it calls for those wearing the garment to be denied access to hospitals, buses, welfare offices and all other public facilities.

On the 30 March 2010 France's top legal body, the State Council (Conseil d’Etat), said that a ban on wearing the full Islamic veil would be vulnerable to legal challenge. President Nicolas Sarkozy's government had sought to ban full veils and had asked for legal advice before proposing legislation.

France24, 26.1.10: Parliament calls burqa a 'challenge' to national values, backs public ban http://www.france24.com/en/20100126-parliamentary-report-backs-burqa-ban-0?autoplay=

Deutsche welle, 26.1.10: French commission recommends banning the burqa http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5169860,00.html

BBC News, 15.3.10: France's burka dilemma http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8568000/8568024.stm

France24, 30.3.10: Top legal body says law banning burqa could be challenged http://www.france24.com/en/20100330-france-burqa-ban-law-state-council-legally-vulnerable-challenge

BBC News, 30.3.10: French PM advised against total Islamic veil ban http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8595589.stm

Le Monde, 31.3.10: Banning the burqa anti-constitutional (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/221471-banning-burqa-anti-constitutional

Conseil d’Etat: Étude relative aux possibilités juridiques d’interdiction du port du voile intégral, March 2010 http://www.conseil-etat.fr/cde/node.php?articleid=2000

France24, 1.6.10: France's burka bill - background to a bitter debate http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20100526-sarkozy-and-burka

BBC News, 19.5.10: French cabinet backs ban on full face coverings http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/10129324.stm

BBC News, 11.5.10: French parliament condemns full Islamic face veil http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8676238.stm

France24, 19.5.10: Sarkozy calls burqa ban bill a 'moral' choice http://www.france24.com/en/20100519-france-government-examines-islamic-veil-ban-bill-sarkozy

ESO: Background information: The prospect of a burqa ban spreads across Europe http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-prospect-of-a-burqa-ban-spreads-across-europe/

ESO: Background information: Burqa plan divides UMP http://www.europeansources.info/record/burqa-plan-divides-ump/

France24, 26.1.10: Burqa ban gains momentum after parliamentary report http://www.france24.com/en/20100126-ban-burqa-gains-momentum-with-publication-parliamentary-report

BBC News, 26.1.10: France MPs report 'to back burka ban' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8480161.stm

Spiegel Online International, 27.1.10: France's Quest to Maintain its Secular Identity http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,674390,00.html

Spiegel Online International: Special Report: Muslims in Europe http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/

BBC News, 6.7.10: French parliament debates Islamic veil ban http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/10517707.stm

France24, 6.7.10: Parliament to debate bill to ban the burqa http://www.france24.com/en/20100706-france-islam-face-veil-burqa-bill-parliament-muslim-minority

IRR: European Race Audit Briefing Paper, No.3, April 2010: The background to the French parliamentary commission on the burqa and niqab http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf2/ERA_BriefingPaper3.pdf

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