Wearing a Veil in France = One Year in Jail PLUS $43,000 Fine

This woman who is wearing her traditional clothing called a niqab veil, is being pulled by a police officer

       Here comes Monday morning..People are recoverying from their relaxing and fun weekend, our new day has just started with a beautiful spring sunshine and the ocean breeze here in the West coast, California. BUT! there is one crucial peoblem which is about to go very radical. We are certainly shocked by this article from Yahoo News.com.

       Let's face it.
      "France bans face-covering Islamic veil" by Camille Rustici, April 11th, Monday.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/unidentified-veiled-woman-right-taken-away-plain-clothed-police-officers/photo//110411/481/urn_publicid_ap_org_d540610b7f6846e6a5c43827b88f3d3e//s:/ap/20110411/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_veil_ban

         So, what's happening in France today, yep, literally, is that police men are arresting those who are "veiled" in Paris. This woman who is wearing her traditional clothing called a niqab veil, is being pulled by a police officer (in the picture above). Why? It's because they are fighting against the France's new law; banning Muslimic veils.
         The article says that the county police have already sent about 61 people who tried to stop the law from officially banning veils to jail!!
The story goes on;
"It was unclear whether the women were also fined for wearing a veil. The law says veiled women risk a Euro 150 ($215) fine or special citizenship classes, though not jail. People who force women to don a veil are subject to up to a year in prison and a Euro 30,000 fine ($43,000), and possibly twice that if the veiled person is a minor (The France's law)."

         The lists of France's points about their ban of face-covering veils:
-Gender equality(Minister Claude Gueant)
- "It's just a law... the history of France"which people have to accept if living in France (Emmanuel Roux of the police union SCPN).
-"It is illegal to hide the face in the public space.."except motor cycle helmet and special festivals(The law)
-The law of banning veils apply to both tourists and citizens.

        On the other hand, People who wear face-covering veils/head-scarfs have their voice:
-It's "racist (Kenza Drider, who lives in Avignon and wears a niqab)."
-France is where people can wear whatever they want.
-The veil "is a submission to God ( Drider)."
-Against the Human Rights.
          There are about 5 million Muslims in France, and some speak out that wearing their traditional outfits is their own freedom. Moreover, those who wear niqabs, abayas, and any other traditional veils express that the law that forces to take their veils off is against the human rights.


         We talked about the same topic earlier in March, but this article makes us think whether the France is making sense, or Muslim women and those who wear veils in the public have their rights to wear what they choose to wear.

       

Picture updates, summary by Heidi

Link, summary editing by Yuri

Editing support, organization by Jose