The harshest penalties in the French draft bill to ban the Islamic all-body veil, or burqa, is to be imposed on men who force women to wear the garment, the daily Le Figaro reported Friday. According to the draft of the law examined by the daily, anyone found guilty of forcing a woman to wear the burqa through ‘violence, threats, abuse of power or authority’ faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to 15,000 euros ($20,000).
The law itself does not specifically target the burqa, but declares, ‘In any public area, no one may wear a garment intended to conceal his face’. Anyone convicted of beaking the law would be liable to a fine of up to 150 euros. ‘For the sake of principle, we have opted for a total ban,’ one of the drafters of the bill was quoted as saying. ‘But we have decided on mild sanctions because these women are often victims.’ The draft bill is to be presented to the cabinet May 19 and put before the National Assembly in July.
Final passage of the bill is foreseen for September.. Belgium will be the first European country to ban the burqa in public spaces. In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, the country’s lower chamber of parliament overwhelmingly approved a bill to ban the burqa or niqab on streets, parks, sports grounds and buildings “meant for public use or to provide services”. The burqa or niqab is an Islamic garment, worn only by women, that masks the face.
Many see the garment as a symbol of the oppression and second class status of Muslim women. Others claim that because the wearer is not fully identifiable she could be a threat to public security. They claim the new law will be useful in the fight against terrorism. Women will still be allowed to wear the hijab, which only covers their hair, in public places. The ban will forbid any veil or scarf that covers the face and prevents one from being identified.
In Brussels a total of 134 lawmakers voted Thursday in favor of the ban. Two members abstained, but no one voted against it. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is also the administrative center of the European Union. This has earned Brussels the unofficial title of the Capital of Europe.
The precedent being set may predict a larger pattern to be emulated throughout the European Union. France and Austria are both considering similar bans on the burqa or niqab. France is home to Europe’s biggest Muslim minority.
Tensions between Muslims and non-Muslim Europeans continue to escalate not only in France but throughout the European Union. Members of the Islamic community and some human rights groups oppose the ban, yet a majority of Europeans favor some sort of restriction on face covering.
The choice to cover the face has come to symbolise the problem of integrating a growing and restless Muslim minority into the larger European community.
