France’s face veil ban takes effect today

Published: Thursday, August 18, 2011

A CONTROVERSIAL BAN on face veils will come into effect in France today, with women wearing certain face coverings in public places risking fines of €150 and being obliged to attend a "citizenship" course.

The ban will apply to Islamic dress such as the burqa (a full body covering which leaves a mesh for the eyes) or the niqab ( a full facial veil). Forms of religious, cultural or fashionable dress that do not cover the face will still be allowed under law: "The ban does not target the wearing of a headscarf, head-gear, scarf or glasses, as long as the accessories do not prevent the person from being identified," said the country's Interior Ministry in a statement.

The law, which is aimed at reaffirming France's "secular values" according President Nicolas Sarkozy, will apply only to public places and not apply in a person's home, a mosque, or a private car.

Although France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, only a fraction of France's five-million-strong Muslim population - fewer than 2,000 women - are expected to be affected by the ban.

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