The French Senate has overwhelmingly passed a bill banning the burqa-style Islamic veil in public, with the leaders of both parliamentary houses saying they have already asked a special council to ensure the measure passes constitutional muster amid concerns its tramples on religious freedoms.
The Senate voted 246 to 1 on Tuesday in favour of the bill, which has already passed in the lower chamber, the National Assembly. It will need President Nicolas Sarkozy's signature.
Legislative leaders said they wanted the Constitutional Council to examine it.
"This law was the object of long and complex debates," the Senate president, Gerard Larcher, and National Assembly head Bernard Accoyer said in a joint statement explaining their move. They said in a joint statement that they want to be certain there is "no uncertainty" about it conforming to the constitution.
The measure effects less than 2,000 women.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Many Muslims believe the legislation is one more blow to France's second religion, and risks raising the level of Islamophobia in a country where mosques, like synagogues, are sporadic targets of hate. However, the vast majority behind the measure say it will preserve the nation's singular values, including its secular foundation and a notion of fraternity that is contrary to those who hide their faces.
France would be the first European country to pass such a law though others, notably neighbouring Belgium, are considering laws against face-covering veils, seen as anathema to the local culture.
"Our duty concerning such fundamental principles of our society is to speak with one voice," said Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, opening a less than five-hour-long debate ahead of the vote.
The measure, carried by Sarkozy's conservative party, was passed overwhelmingly by the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, on July 13.
Insight will discuss the issue Tuesday night next week with Jacques Myard from the ruling French UMP party, intellectual and scholar Tariq Ramadan, and wearers of the Islamic face-veil. Join the discussion on Facebook.
