FRANCE: French police detain a woman wearing an Islamic veil outside Notre Dame cathedral, French businessman offers to pay fines of those found violating the 'burqa law'

Record ID: 783581

  • Title: FRANCE: French police detain a woman wearing an Islamic veil outside Notre Dame cathedral, French businessman offers to pay fines of those found violating the 'burqa law'
  • Date: 12th April 2011
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (APRIL 11, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIORS OF NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL INTERIOR OF CATHEDRAL VARIOUS OF POLICE AND POLICE VANS CROWD OF CAMERA CREWS ON SITE TO COVER CALL FOR A PEACEFUL PRAYER BY WOMEN WEARING ISLAMIC VEILS KENZA DRIDER, A WOMAN WHO HAS WORN A NIQAB FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS, SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS POLICE VAN, CROWD BEHIND PLAINCLOTHES POLICE ARRIVING VARIOUS OF PLAINCLOTHES POLICE TAKING DRIDER AWAY FOR IDENTITY CHECK VARIOUS OF DRIDER BEING ESCORTED INTO POLICE VAN NOTRE DAME
  • Embargoed: 27th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA9CWPQZEB1JZPH0SU489IIE9H5
  • Story Text: A woman wearing a full Muslim veil was on Monday (April 11) detained by police outside Notre Dame cathedral in Paris as she sought to take part in a protest against a law that has just come into force which forbids the masking of faces in public places.
    Kenza Drider, a mother of four from Avignon in the south of France, was removed by police and taken off to a distant police station for identity checks which are now mandatory as part of the law. She could face a fine of 150 euros ($180) or several hours of mandatory citizenship education.
    She had earlier travelled up from her home town without any challenge and was only stopped when she sought to take part in a call for a silent prayer session in front of the French capital's main cathedral.
    Several dozen media who had been alerted to the call were present.
    Although France has Europe's largest Muslim population, only a very tiny minority wear full veils that obscure everything but the eyes, officials say not more than 3,000.
    Drider, who says it is her constitutional right to dress how she wishes, is the highest profile of their number, and has previously testified before parliamentary committees and taken part in television debates.
    French officials have defended the measure by saying it seeks to consolidate womens' rights and also helps with security at a time when the country faces the threat of terror attacks.
    Opponents say the measure stigmatises the Muslim population and is a sop to the electorate on the hard right at a time when Sarkozy's ratings are at an all-time low, one year before presidential elections.
    A French businessman who opposes the use of the veil but defends' people's rights to wear it, on Monday launched a defence fund to pay the bills of people who would be fined.
    "I cannot accept that the President of the Republic, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, introduces a law that does not respect either the constitution nor the principle of law, and namely the respect of fundamental liberties," he said in a video posted on the website oumma.com.
    "We have decided to launch a fund to defend secularism and freedom this Monday, April 11. This is to ... pay all the fines of women who will circulate in the street wearing a niqab," he said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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