The Wall Street Journal
written by David Gautier-Villars and Charles Forelle
Wednesday September 15, 2010
PARIS—France risked the wrath of the Islamic world on Tuesday by banning burqas and other full-body robes worn by some Muslim women, in a long-debated move that shows the depth of concern over the rise of Muslim culture in Europe.
The vote—passed primarily by the center-right party of President Nicolas Sarkozy, with most opposition Socialist Party lawmakers abstaining—came as a number of European countries are trying to figure out how to reconcile the values of modern Europe with more assertive expressions of Islamic faith.
Switzerland, for example, banned the construction of minarets after a referendum last year. Belgium and Spain are discussing measures to outlaw similar full-body cloaks. In Sweden, long known as one of Europe's most tolerant societies, an anti-immigration party that has called for Swedish Muslims to integrate more is expected to win its first Parliamentary seat in this weekend's elections.
In the U.S., tensions are running similarly high over plans to build an Islamic community center near the site of the World Trade Center destroyed by Muslim terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, and over a Florida pastor's threat to burn qurans in commemoration of the date last week.
France is facing criticism of its tolerance on other fronts: On Tuesday the European Union's justice commissioner excoriated the Sarkozy administration for its campaign to deport Gypsies, also known as Roma, calling it a "disgrace" and saying the bloc would begin legal proceedings against the French government.
The legislation adopted Tuesday by the Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament, forbids people from concealing their faces in public. It makes no reference to Islam, and includes exceptions for people who need to cover up for work reasons, such as riot police and surgeons.
But it follows a year-long campaign by Mr. Sarkozy's ruling party against the burqa and niqab, head-to-toe robes worn by a small number of France's Muslim women. The burqa is "a sign of enslavement and debasement," Mr. Sarkozy said last year.
The bill is scheduled to come into force after six months. It has already passed the lower house, the National Assembly. At the Parliament's request, the law will be reviewed by France's Constitutional Council before it takes effect. The Council, which reviews the constitutionality of laws after they are passed by Parliament but before they are put into force, has rejected several bills in recent years. It can censor all or part of the law deemed to contradict the nation's bylaws.
The ban would apply to everyone in France, including visitors. Offenders face a maximum fine of €150 (about $190) and could be asked to attend courses on what the government calls "republican values." Individuals who encourage others to ignore the ban would face tougher penalties: up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of €30,000.
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