Burqa wearers to be fined in France

Paris, Jan 8: As part of their crusade against burqa, leader of the parliamentary majority has drafted a bill under which a fine of EUR 750 (USD 1,000) will be imposed on a woman wearing burqa in France.

Jean-Francois Cope, who heads the governing UMP party in the National Assembly said in a media report that the heavier fine will be imposed on men who force their wives to face burqa or naqab.

"The proposed measure would prohibit the covering of the face in public places and on the streets, with the exception of special cultural events or carnivals," Cope said, adding that the law was an issue of security.

He added that the draft legislation which will present within two weeks will also figure in the parliamentary debate after the regional election in March.

The right-wing candidate for Presidential election in 2017, called for a ban on burqa to defend women's rights.

"We can measure the modernity of a society by the way it treats and respects women," he said.

The Islamic veil has been an issue of debate in the France's political establishment for a long time.

While opposition Socialists are against the imposition of a law, they are in favor of discouraging Muslim women from wearing burqa.

OneIndia News