In France, ban on burqah has been proposed in almost every political campaign. Reason is because many multicultural quarters of Europe, the idea of burqah is linked to extremist or nationalist.
President Nicolas Sarkozy said last year that the burqah, as the French call it (niqab, or all-over face-covering veil), was “not welcome” on French soil. Jean-François Copé, the leader of the ruling UMP party in parliament, has been the most active in pushing for a total ban and the idea is also backed by politicians like Communist head of a parliamentary and various leading Socialists.

One reason for this is because France’s tradition of laïcité. Unlike the headscarf ban, the upcoming law against the wearing of the burqah is obscurely related to secularism. When a ban was first discussed and debated, it was assumed that the legal basis for it would be French laïcité. Politicians soon realised, though, that to use this argument would be to accept that the burqah is a religious prescription of Islam. Most Muslim opinion-makers in France, French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM)and female Muslim ministers reject this. The CFCM has clearly stated its “opposition to the practice on national territory”, although they also argue that a ban would stigmatise Islam.

The French are now considering two grounds for outlawing the burqah, each of which—unlike laïcité could potentially be applied in other countries. One is security, and the need to be identifiable at all times. The other is “dignity” and “equality between men and women”. Although very few women in France cover their faces—no more than 2,000, according to official estimates—it is a new trend. Politicians and researchers say that the wearing of the headscarf by French Muslims, many of whom are of North African origin where there is no tradition of covering the face, is a sign of manipulation by hardline Islamic radicals keen to test the French state. The French are unapologetic about wanting to reassert “the values of the republic” by going ahead with a ban.

Laïcité is concept of a secular society, connoting the absence of religious involvement in government affairs as well as absence of government involvement in religious affairs
Burqah is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the purpose of hiding a female's body when out in public.
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Will france ban the burqah?
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My point of view:
I believed that burqah shouldn't be banned in France or any other countries as it is tantamount to violation of the right to choose. The reason why i side with the minorities is because wearing burqah(s) is a way of life, belief or a way to represent their commitment and devotion to their religion.
The French government subtly perceived burqah as a symbol of terrorism, extremist or nationalist. They tried to ban burqah by bringing up problems like terrorist disguising themselves in burqah rendering them indifferent from the Muslim burqah wearer which will threaten the security and safety of the French, but i believe there're counter measures that can be taken to prevent such incident from occurring like giving the police the rights to question them, making a “lawful contact”, to check the burqah people who cause “reasonable suspicion”, and to arrest them if they lack documents or proof. (a policy that is used by Arizona police to filter out the illegal immigrants)
Though as harsh and strict as it may sound, i believe it is better than robbing the right of these women to choose what they want to wear, as these clothes are nothing except fashion statement or a way of life.

Labels: Chandra