Backpedaling, in an update on this story. “Sarkozy backs off ban of Muslim veil, calls it ‘unworkable’,” from The Raw Story, January 16:
French president Nicolas Sarkozy backed off previous statements in support of a public ban on the full Muslim veil to prevent Jean-Francois Cope, his party’s Parliamentary leader, to rush through an “anti-burka law.”
Sarkozy opened the door to an outright ban in June, criticizing the veil as a symbol opposed to French values. But he moved quickly Wednesday to tell leaders in Parliament why an outright ban would be “unworkable.”
“The full veil is not welcome in France because it is contrary to our values and contrary to the ideals we have of a woman’s dignity,” he said. “But it is vital to conduct ourselves in a way that no-one feels stigmatised. We must find a solution which enables us to win the widest support.”
Though many members of Parliament would support the ban, it’s too early to say whether the law will pass, according to the Washington Post.
The draft of the law reads: “No one may, in spaces open to the public and on public streets, wear a garment or an accessory that has the effect of hiding the face.”…