France looks to ban the burqa

France is gearing for a fierce debate over whether to ban the burqa, the head-to-toe woman's cloak promoted by Muslim fundamentalists as obedience to Islam but loathed by feminists as a symbol of oppression.

A head of steam is building in Parliament over whether to outlaw the burqa in public places, and yesterday President Nicolas Sarkozy raised the pressure several notches by declaring the garment "will not be welcome on the [French] Republic's soil".

"The problem of the burqa is not a religious problem, it's a problem of liberty, of the dignity of women. It's not a sign of religion, it's a sign of subservience, it's a sign of abasement," he told a session of both Houses of Parliament.

Sarkozy sought to reassure France's several million Muslims that he intended no slight against Islam, insisting that "the Muslim religion must be respected as much as any other religion".

He did not speak out openly in favour of a ban, but voiced his support for a motion filed last week by 64 MPs from all parties calling for a parliamentary committee of inquiry into the burqa. "We must have a debate in which all points of view are expressed. We must not be afraid of our values, we must not be afraid to defend them."

The assault on the burqa, a dark, full-length gown in which either just a slit or a mesh is left for the face, comes five years after France outlawed the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, in state schools.

That measure was supported by a broad coalition of left and right as well as feminist groups, worried at a perceived rise in fundamentalism and its effect on Muslim girls. They argued that state schools were part of a secular arena that should be equal to all. The open wearing of crucifixes and other religious totems were also banned from state schools.

But the burqa question is far more complex. Politicians and activists are already showing a nuanced response as to whether it is right - or even feasible - to outlaw a garment when it is worn in public rather than in a state building.

Budget Minister Eric Woerth is leading the campaign for a ban, saying the burqa "has no place in France" while the Secretary of State for the Family, Fadela Amara, lashed the burqa as "a coffin that kills fundamental liberties".

Human Rights Minister Rama Yade, who is of African descent and lives in a rundown Paris suburb where fundamentalism is reputedly on the rise, said she would "not oppose" a ban "if it can help protect women who are forced to wear the burqa".

Other voices, though, say the burqa is not a big problem. Most French Muslims are integrated into society, endorse secularism and many despise the burqa, they argue. Only a tiny minority of women wear the garment. According to their argument, passing a prejudicial and unenforceable law could make them martyrs.

Former Justice Minister Robert Badinter, a Socialist, suggested deputies resist "a rush to legislate" until they learnt why women wore it, either through doctrine or family pressure.

Cecile Duflot, of the Greens, said that if wearing the burqa was outlawed, oppressed Muslim women would be forced to stay at home. Breaking their isolation, educating them and having them mix with other women would be a far smarter approach, she argued.

Muslim organisations suspect political opportunism in which Muslims are likely to end up stigmatised. "If the MPs had proposed setting up a parliamentary commission of inquiry into job losses that affect hundreds of thousands of people, that would have been more understandable," said Mohammed Moussaoui, chairman of the French Council for the Muslim Religion.

Kamel Kabtane, rector of the Lyons mosque, said: "If you'll pardon the expression, it's a sort of a fan dance, aimed at drawing people's attention away from what's happening to the economy. Every time there's a crisis, it's always the Muslims who are the culprits."