Two Decsions In France On Rights of Muslim Women To Wear Religious Garb

USA Today reported yesterday on two decisions in France balancing French secularism with the right of Muslim women to wear religious garb. The French anti-discrimination agency, HALDE, ruled on Sept. 15 that women wearing the burqa and niqab-- full body and face covering-- could be excluded from state-sponsored French language classes for immigrants. HALDE called the burqa a symbol of "female submission that goes beyond its religious meaning." The head of HALDE said that language teachers need to see their students' faces when offering phonetic instruction. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, an appellate court in the city of Nancy affirmed a decision fining the owner of a bed and breakfast for refusing a room to two women wearing Muslim headscarves.