French lawmaker proposes banning Muslim veils

A top lawmaker from French President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative partyintroduced legislation on Tuesdaythat wouldbar Muslim women in France from appearing in public wearing veils that hide their faces.

The bill by lawmaker Jean-Franois Cop, who heads the UMP party inFrance's National Assembly, or lower house, has sparked criticism from some of his political allies. The speaker of the lower house, Bernard Accoyer, called Cop's move "premature."

A panel of lawmakers has held hearings for six months on the all-encompassing veils that cover all but a woman's eyes. It is to advise parliament by month's end whether it believes a law banning such garments is needed.

In further criticism from within Cop's own party, Labor Minister Laurent Wauquiez accused the lawmaker of using the debate over veils for self-promotion because he failed to await the conclusions of the panel.

Sarkozy opened the debate on such veils in June, saying they aren't welcome in France but without specifying whether hewas in favour of outlawing them.

A 2004 law bans Muslim headscarves and other "ostentatious" religious symbols from classrooms. Only a tiny minority of Muslim women in France wear the more extreme covering, which is not required by Islam.

However, Islam issecond most commonreligion in France after Roman Catholicism, and authorities worry that such dress might be a gateway to extremism. They also say it amounts to an insultto women and France's secular foundations.

There has been concern over how any law banning the full veil could be presented without infringing on constitutional rights.

Cop's approach is based on public order and safety. Article 1 of his proposal stipulates that "no one, in places open to the public or on streets, may wear an outfit or an accessory whose effect is to hide the face" except those with legitimate motives that have beenformally recognized as such.

This was an apparent reference to certain cultural events and carnivals such as Mardi Gras, which Cop said last week would be exempt from his legislation.

Women failing to abide by the law, were it passed, would be subject to fines that could reach around $1,000, according to a summary by Cop last week.