UNITED KINGDOM: Amnesty International condemn French lawmakers for voting to ban the wearing of full-length veils in public.

Record ID: 573597

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Amnesty International condemn French lawmakers for voting to ban the wearing of full-length veils in public.
  • Date: 15th July 2010
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 30th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: International Relations,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA3IIVDBSEWSAW5P01GZ13MIG7Q
  • Story Text: Amnesty International condemned French lawmakers on Wednesday (July 14) for voting to ban the wearing of full-length veils in public.
    Muslim women could be fined 150 euros for wearing face-covering veils in public in France, under a bill approved overwhelmingly on Tuesday (July 13) by the lower house of parliament.
    Amnesty International said the ban violates women's human rights.
    " "Amnesty regrets obviously that this law has been passed, and even more so that it has been passed with such an overwhelming majority in French lower chamber, because we believe that this a law that will violate the rights to freedom of expressions and freedom of religions of muslim women who freely choose to wear full face veils," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's expert on discrimination in Europe.
    He said the ban could actually hurt the very women it is meant to protect.
    "I think there is definitely a risk that some of those who are currently being forced to wear veils won't necessarily see their situation improve. They are likely to be restricted more to the home, their access to services, and perhaps even the assistance, they might want to reach out, taken away from them. So there is definitely a real risk of that, there is obviously a risk of a double punishment. They are punished in their home and they are punished in the street again," he added.
    The legislation still has to be vetted by the Constitutional Court, France's highest constitutional authority, and approved by the Senate in September.
    However, the Council of State, France's top legal advisory body, has already queried whether a ban is compatible with the constitution and the European Convention on human rights.
    France is home to Western Europe's largest Muslim minority, with about 5 million Muslims, but it is thought only about 2,000 women wear the full-length veil.
    Movements to ban full-face veils are gathering pace across Europe.
    Polls in Italy, Spain, Germany and Britain have indicated widespread support.
    BURQA
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