Kuwait wants u-turn on France hijab ban

By Shane McGinley
  • Tuesday, 22 January 2013 3:40 PM
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(Getty Images).

(Getty Images).

Kuwait called on France to reconsider its ban on wearing Islamic face veils in public during a speech at the UN Human Rights Council, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported on Tuesday.

The adviser of the permanent Kuwaiti delegation at the United Nations, Malik Al-Wazzan, said in a speech in Geneva that the French government should reconsider the ban and “protect the human rights in discrimination and inequalities towards foreigners and those with different beliefs,” KUNA reported.

France's ban on full face veils, a first in Europe, came into force on April 2011, and anyone wearing the Muslim hijab or burqa in public faces a fine of €150 (US$216), or lessons in French citizenship.

The French government, which passed the law in October, has rolled out a public relations campaign to explain the ban and the rules of its application that includes posters, pamphlets and a government-hosted web site.

Guidelines spelled out in the pamphlet forbid police from asking women to remove their burqa or full-face veil in the street. They will instead be escorted to a police station and asked to remove the veil there for identification.

Widely criticised by Muslims abroad as impinging on their religious freedom, the law has provoked a limited backlash in France where a strict separation of church and state is seen as central to maintaining a peaceful civil society.

In September, France also banned praying in the street and later that month the Dutch government followed suit and banned Muslim women from wearing face-covering veils.

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Posted by: Nasir Wednesday, 23 January 2013 3:30 PM[UAE] - Qatar

Stephan,

A typically two faced comment. When the 'West' was fighting the Soviets, then the hysterical claim was that they invaded other contries and their puppet governments invited them in. Now that you want to go in and control the place you say that your puppet government is perfectly legitimate. P.s. please read up on how legitimate the government of Mali actually is.

People are getting sick of the endless lies that the neo-colonialist keep regurgitating to get what they want. At least be a man and admit the truth.

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Posted by: BAV Wednesday, 23 January 2013 12:41 PM[UAE] - RSA

there is an old saying; when in Rome do as the Romans do......respect the laws of the country you are in; or go home o where you may live in peace and harmony amongst your own kind.

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Posted by: Tarek Wednesday, 23 January 2013 11:08 AM[UAE] - Qatar

I think Kuwait should be focusing on finding a solution to end the suffering of the tens of thousands of bedoons (the stateless) who has been living for decades on its soil, rather than worrying about the rights of a handfull Muslim women wearing Niqab in France !!!!

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Posted by: HD_dxb Tuesday, 22 January 2013 4:49 PM[UAE] - uae

france doesnt have a hijab ban, they have a niqab ban. No where in our religion does it say our women need to have their faces covered. Lets worry about all the issues we have in our own countries instead of telling people how they should run their own.

Posted by: Stephan Wednesday, 23 January 2013 9:33 AM[UAE] - Qatar

RAH:
your point number 2: The Republic of Mali asked the help of France and France went there to help the people of Mali. We are not meddling with Mali.

France has no lessons of Freddom to receive from a country like Kuwait! and as HD_dxb said the ban is on niqab not hijab!!!!

Posted by: RAH Tuesday, 22 January 2013 10:15 PM[UAE] - Kuwait

"Lets worry about all the issues we have in our own countries instead of telling people how they should run their own."

1. France is busy telling the world what is wrong with them, so it is only fair that the world tells is back when civil liberties are infringed upon

2. France is busy meddling with Mali at the moment so why not have other countries meddle with France?

They meddle outside of their borders, then it's just fair others would meddle into their affairs.

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