First European burqa bans

On 22 April, the Belgian parliament is expected to approve a law that will prohibit the public wearing of attire that prevents the wearer from being fully identified at all times except during carnival. As Le Soir reported earlier this month, Belgium will become "the first European country to ban the public wearing of the burqa." And it may soon be followed by France, where on 21 April the government announced a bill to outlaw the wearing of full body veils, which will be presented to parliament in May. Libérationlaunches an ironic attack on the "admirable sense of priorities," which has led the Sarkozy government to make the burqa a political issue. "France is struggling to cope with a painful social crisis… And what does the government put forward as a key measure on its programme? A law on the burqa: a piece of cloth worn by few hundred women — 2,000 according to the highest estimates." The left-wing daily notes that "outside of fundamentalist circles no one supports the wearing of full veils, which is contrary to the principles of secularity and the emancipation of women," but insists that "a total ban with police issuing fines in the streets is indicative of a dangerous level of cultural intolerance, and populist electioneering."