VeilBan in France

Discussion

Ban in France

•  "Act prohibiting concealment of the face in public space") is an act of parliament passed by the Senate of France on 14 September 2010, resulting in the ban on the wearing of face-covering headgear, including masks, helmets, balaclava, niqābs and other veils covering the face in public places, except under specified circumstances.

• The ban also applies to the burqa, a full-body covering, if it covers the face

• The bill had previously been passed by the National Assembly of France on 13 July 2010

Plus Minus of the Ban

• That face-coverings prevent the clear identification of a person

• It’s a security risk

• A social hindrance within a society which relies on facial recognition and expression in communication

• The ban is that it encroaches on individual freedoms

• It against Basic Right or religious identity

Current Status

• It is illegal to wear a face-covering veil or other mask in public places such as the street, shops, museums etc

• Veils such as the chador, scarves and other headwear that do not cover the face, are not affected by this law and can be worn

• The law applies to all citizens, including men and non-Muslims

• Laws don’t apply where specifically provided by law (such as motor-bike riders and safety workers) and during established occasional events (such as some carnivals)

• The law imposes a fine of up to €150, and/or participation in citizenship education, for those who violate the law

Cont…• A woman wearing a niqāb in public will be if she is travelling in a private car or worshiping in a religious place

• French police say that while there are five million Muslims in France, fewer than 2,000 are thought to fully cover their faces with a veil

•  The wearing of all conspicuous religious symbols in public schools was previously banned in 2004 by a different law, the French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools.

• This affected the wearing of Islamic veils and headscarves in schools, as well as turbans and other distinctive items of dress

Response

• Abdel Muti al-Bayyumi, a member of the council of clerics at Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, applauded the ban and stated that the niqāb has no basis in Sharia

•  Mohammed Moussaoui, the president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, opposed using a law but favored discouraging Muslim women from wearing the full veil

•  Yusuf al Qaradawi, Egyptian ,the niqab is not obligatory" while criticizing France for violating the freedom of other women to freely dress in a revealing and provocative manner

• Amnesty International condemned the passage of the bill in the Assembly as a violation of the freedom of expression of those women who wear the burqa or hijab

A question

• Does the face-covering veil actually an Islamic provision ?

• Is it encouraged by the Quran ?

• Or Instead it is part of Muslim cultural heritage ?