French Constitutional Council Upholds Ban on Burqa

CNN reported yesterday that in France, the Constitutional Council has upheld the Parliament's recently enacted ban on wearing the burqa or niqab-- garments including a full face veil-- anywhere in public. (See prior posting.) This was the last step necessary for approval of the new law that will take effect in the spring. The Constitutional Council held that the new law does not impose disproportionate punishments and does not prevent the free exercise of religion in a place of worship and thus "conforms to the Constitution."  Under the new law, a woman wearing a niqab or burqa will be fined 150 Euros ($190 US) and required to take a citizenship course.  The law classifies forcing a woman to wear a niqab or burqa as a much more serious offense, punishable by a sentence of one year in prison or a fine of 15,000 Euros ($19,000 US). The government called this type of coercion a new form of enslavement that cannot be accepted on French soil.