Veil ban vote

A FRENCH bill to ban full-face veils worn by some Muslim women in public will go to parliament today, bringing closer a measure which critics argue is hard to enforce and may be unconstitutional.

Supporters argue that wearing garments which hide women’s faces violates the republican ideals of secularism and gender equality. Opponents say only a tiny minority of Muslim women wear the full veil, known as a niqab or burqa, and the legislation further restrains individual freedom.

France is home to the EU’s largest Muslim minority.