French bill on full veil ban has popular support

The bill, presented during a time when Europe is toughening the integration of Muslim immigrant communities, will face a stricter challenge before France’s Constitutional Court, the country’s highest legal body.

President Nicholas Sarkozy’s decision to ban the niqab and the burqa has been opposed by some for breaching French and European human rights legislation. The ban has significant weight in France, with various city suburbs housing the biggest Muslim community in Europe.

Last week, Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said the bill’s adoption would assert French values and help integrate Muslim communities into the national way of life.

"At a time where our societies are becoming more global and complex, the French people are pondering the future of their nation. Our responsibility is to show vigilance and reaffirm our commonly-shared values," she said.

Under the bill, women cannot wear the veil in public places such as streets, parks or shops, and may be fined up to 150 euros if the law is broken. Men who force their wives or daughters to wear the veil may be fined up to 300,000 euros and sentenced to one year in jail.

Head of the French council of the Muslim faith, Mohammed Moussaoui, supports measures to discourage women from wearing the full veil, but said a law could stigmatise a vulnerable group.

The ban is enjoying popular support. According to an international poll conducted in April and May by the Washington-based Pew Research Center, more than eight in 10 French voters support the ban.