The French government was split on Friday over whether a law should be enacted to restrict the wearing of the full Islamic veil by Muslim women in Europe's most staunchly secular country. A group of lawmakers is calling for a special inquiry into whether women who wear the burqa or the niqab undermine French secularism and women's rights.
The government's spokesman welcomed the proposal for a parliamentary commission that could lead to legislation, but Immigration Minister Eric Besson warned a law would stir tensions in France, home to some five million Muslims. Communist MP Andre Gerin is spearheading the drive for a parliamentary panel that would look at ways to restrict the burqa which he describes as a "prison" and "degrading" for women.
The deputy is also mayor of the southern city of Venissieux, home to a large north African immigrant population, where he says the sight of covered women is not a rare occurrence. "If it were determined that wearing the burqa is a submissive act, and that it is contrary to republican principles, well naturally parliament would have to drawn the necessary conclusions," said government spokesman Luc Chatel. Asked whether that would mean introducing legislation, he said, "why not."