French draft bill to fine burqa-wearing women

[theGinsue]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100107...lamwomenrights

Thu Jan 7, 1:46 pm ET
PARIS (AFP) – Muslim women who wear the full Islamic veil in France will face a possible 750-euro (1,000-dollar) fine, according to a draft bill unveiled Thursday by the leader of the parliamentary majority.

Jean-Francois Cope, who heads the governing UMP party in the National Assembly, told Le Figaro newspaper's weekly magazine that men who force their wives to wear the burqa or niqab could face an even heavier fine.

"The law will address an issue of security," Cope said in an interview with the magazine.

"The proposed measure would prohibit the covering of the face in public places and on the streets, with the exception of special cultural events or carnivals."

The draft legislation will be presented in the next two weeks and should come up for debate in parliament after the March regional elections, he said.

The majority leader, who is also openly campaigning to succeed President Nicolas Sarkozy as the right-wing candidate for the presidency in 2017, said the burqa must be banned to defend women's rights.

"We can measure the modernity of a society by the way it treats and respects women," he said.

France's political establishment is divided on whether to ban the burqa, with the opposition Socialists this week saying that it opposed a law even though Muslim women must be discouraged from wearing the full veil.
The burqa debate has heated up ahead of the release at the end of the month of a much-awaited report by a parliamentary panel that has conducted six months of hearings on the issue.

Many politicians from the left and right have cautioned that a draconian law banning the head-to-toe veil would be difficult to enforce and probably face a challenge in the European rights court.

Sarkozy himself has said that the burqa is not welcome in France but has not stated publicly whether legislation should be enacted.

Critics argue that a specific law enacted to ban the full veil would be tantamount to using a sledgehammer to swat a fly. Only 1,900 women wear the full veil in France, according to the interior ministry.

In the interview, Cope argued that a law would act as a deterrent by sending a "clear message" that France will not allow women to fully cover themselves.

How come France can get it right and we allow Muslim women to ear their burqa's for their driver's license photos? Don't get me wrong, I fully believe in the freedoms of expression and practicing the religion of your choice, but some standards should be maintained. If I can't have my driver's license photo taken with a Jason hockey mask on for public safety , etc. reasons, the same rules should apply to the burqas.

My $.02

That is all. Discussion?

.

[Irving]

France is also considering making mental abuse illegal between couples. I don't know how they'd prove that beyond a reasonable doubt.

I'm really surprised about this kind of law though. Probably because of the new leader.

[jake]

I'm really surprised about this kind of law though. Probably because of the new leader.

Nah, the French have always been very much of the mindset that if you live in France, you assimilate. Wearing burqas has been banned in schools in France for years (along with any religious symbol).

But can women really wear a burqa in their driving license photo here? The only instance I have heard of this was the woman in Florida who was told she couldn't.

[theGinsue]

While the big case we are all aware of resulted in a loss to the plaintiff, she had been allowed to wear her veil in her FL DL photo BEFORE 9/11 as well as for an IL DL she had before moving to FL.

Source:
http://en.allexperts.com/e/s/su/sultaana_freeman.htm

Sultaana Freeman:
Born in 1964 as Sandra Keller, Freeman converted to Islam in 1997. That year, she was arrested in Decatur, Illinois on charges she abused one of her foster children. Freeman eventually pleaded guilty and served 18 months of probation. Illinois child welfare agents also removed the children from her house.

Freeman did not wear a veil when she was photographed by police for her mug shot. But later that year, she obtained an Illinois driver's license where she wore her veil.
Florida Lawsuit

In 2003, Freeman filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against Florida when the state's Department of Highway Safety revoked her license when she refused to be photographed without her veil. The department previously allowed her to wear it, as seen in her license picture, but reversed its decision following the 9/11 attacks.

Freeman's lawsuit argued that sharia required her to wear a veil "in front of strangers and unrelated males." It also stated that other states allowed photo-free licenses for religious reasons. Judge Janet C. Thorpe denied her lawsuit that year, and a state appeals court later upheld her decision. Freeman has planned to continue her appeals.

[sniper7]

I don't see how they can get away with wearing one during a DL photo. If I can't wear my fucking yankees hat or notre dame hat then she can't wear her burqa. I am 10 times more likely to be seen with a hat on than without during an average day when i am home. It may not be my "religion", but if they are going to play that game I will start a religion that requires wearing hats while driving. then what are they going to do about it...

[Moviestar]

I agree that here they should be required to take it off for the DL photo, but can wear it anywhere else, unless they are requested to take it off for verification. Just like when im wearing sunglasses and a cop asks me to take them off to make sure I am me. But in France, I think they are being overly paranoid imo.