On July 13th, 2010 France’s lower house of parliament passed a ban on facial veils, including the full-body burqa worn by many Muslim women. The vote was 335 to 1. The bill must pass the French Senate in order to become law. If the bill is made into law, penalties include a $190 fine and/or completion of a citizenship course. Forcing a woman to wear a face-covering veil could result in a one-year jail sentence and/or a $38,000 fine. The French Parliament is one of several parliaments that have debated measures banning facial veils, including Italy, Belgium and Spain.
Elaine Ganley provided background into the issue. Following the interview, the French parliament debates the proposal.