After the French debate, calls for banning the burqa are also being heard in Germany. Former MP Lale Akgün of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) said the burqa was a “full body prison”, violating human rights immensely. The German politician of Turkish background called for a ban in public spaces such as universities and schools…
This newspaper article offers a character profile of André Gerin, who led the six month commission on niqab and burqa use in the Republic. The article suggests that the commission is a reflection of Gerin’s “crusade” since 9/11 against the “French Taliban.” Moreover, amidst the six French people held at Guantanamo since 2002, two were…
In a radio debate between Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt (moderate) and leader of the opposition Mona Sahlin (social democrat), Reinfeldt refused to give a straight answer on the possibility of banning of burqas in Sweden. “We don’t need to hide our faces in this way in Sweden”, Reinfeldt said. Sahlin said she was against…
The French burqa debate has crossed the Channel. Despite calls from some groups for a full or partial ban on veils, there is currently no ban on Islamic dress in the UK – although schools were allowed to set out their own dress code in 2007 after several high-profile court cases. In January 2010, Schools…
After six months, the French parliamentary committee has released a 200-page report proposing an act banning the burqa and the niqab in public services and offices. However, the ban wouldn’t extend to all public spaces and it wouldn’t necessarily be a criminal offense. The French government considers the burqa an offense to French national values….
