Woman Tests Face Veil Ban in France

A woman wearing a full Muslim veil is detained by police in Paris after a controversial law banning Islamic face veils goes into effect.

Kenza Drider, a mother of four from the south of France, was taken to a police station for an identity check during a silent prayer session against the ban on Monday in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Under the law, people found obscuring their faces are required to go to a police station to prove their identity.

She could also face a fine of 150 euros or a civil education class.

Drider is a long-time opponent of the ban and is part of a campaign to promote her right to wear a full veil, which obscures most of her face.

The French government says the ban promotes women’s rights and is a necessary security measure against terror threats.

A French businessman who opposes the use of the veil but defends the right to wear it launched a defense fund to pay the bills of people who are fined.

[Rachid Nekkaz, Businessman]:

„Personally, I am against people who wear niqabs in public spaces. But, as a democrat and someone who is attached to public liberty, I cannot accept that the President of the Republic, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, introduces a law that does not respect either the constitution nor the principle of law, and namely the respect of fundamental liberties.“

Critics of the new law say it stigmatizes Muslims and panders to France’s extreme right wing parties as presidential elections approach next year.

Foto: NTD