Wednesday, July 14, 2010

335 to 1

This makes me feel very very nervous.

The French parliament has passed a ban on veils that cover the face - and the vote was 335-1. It isn't law yet, because it still has to go through the French Senate, but it seems likely that it will be passed at the end of September.

If passed the bill envisions a fine of 150 euros ($190) and/or a citizenship course as punishment for wearing a face-covering veil. Amnesty International immediately condemned the vote.

"A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab in public as an expression of their identity or beliefs," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's expert on discrimination in Europe.

Read the article here.


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