Human Rights Watch has condemned France’s possible burqa ban for violating rights of Muslim women, warning the move could stigmatize the whole Muslim minority in the country. “We are still very concerned that the restrictions will seriously interfere with the rights of Muslim women in France – the right to manifest their religion and the…
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…
This timeline describes the recent legislation and announcements on the headscarf/hijab/burqa/niqab in France since 2004.
A 32-member multiparty panel led by Andre Gerin presented a panoply of recommendations aimed at dissuading Muslim women from wearing full-face covering headscarves. Another recommendation: denying resident cards and citizenship to women who wear all-encompassing veils. The panel was bitterly divided over recommending a ban on face-covering veils on the street, and that was not…
