A controversial ban on the
face-covering veil, or niqab, that some Muslim women wear went into
effect in France on April 11, and police arrested 59 people in Paris
at a protest against the law. French authorities said they were
arrested for holding an unauthorized demonstration.
France has 5 to 6 million
Muslims, and their community has been under increased attacks by the
racist Sarkozy administration. Observers have suggested that the law,
which was passed in October but just went into effect, was driven by
internal French politics, with Sarkozy hoping to tap extremist racist
support.
Scarves and other head
coverings are not included in the ban against the niqab and the
burqa, which covers the entire body. It is estimated that 2,000
women in France wear the banned garb. Women convicted of this new
crime would be subject to a fine of 150 euros. The ban has been
broadly condemned as an attack on religious freedoms.
