Two French journalists being held hostage in Iraq called on French President Jacques Chirac to save their lives by giving in to militants’ demands to rescind a headscarf ban, according to a video shown on the Al-Jazeera television station.

President Jacques Chirac has vowed to spare no effort to free two French reporters held hostage in Iraq by militants reportedly demanding that France scrap its ban on Islamic headscarves in state schools.

France’s government today scrambled to map out its response to the kidnapping of two French journalists in Iraq, but showed no immediate signs of being ready to surrender to the hostage-takers’ reported demands.

Militants in Iraq have murdered kidnapped Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni, who disappeared last week, Pan-Arab television station Al-Jazeera reported.