Foreigner banned over burqa

The French government has refused citizenship to a foreign national who forced his wife to wear the Islamic veil.

French Immigration Minister Eric Besson signed a decree rejecting a man's citizenship application after it emerged that he had ordered his wife to cover herself with a head-to-toe veil.

"It became apparent during the regulation investigation and the prior interview that this person was compelling his wife to wear the all-covering veil, depriving her of the freedom to come and go with her face uncovered, and rejected the principles of secularism and equality between men and women," Besson said.

The minister stressed that French law required anyone seeking naturalisation to demonstrate their desire for integration.

Stigma

The debate over the wearing of the burka has raged for years. It came to a head when the French parliament proposed a new ban on the veil last week.

France is home to Europe's biggest Muslim minority. It has been debating whether to ban the burqa worn by a small group of women- about 1,900 according to the interior ministry.

Last week, a parliamentary committee proposed a ban on the full Islamic veil in all schools, hospitals, government offices and public transport. It also recommended that anyone showing visible signs of "radical religious practice" be refused residence permits and citizenship.

President Nicolas Sarkozy has proclaimed the burqa "not welcome" in secular France and come out in favour of legislation to outlaw the veil, but has warned against stigmatising Muslims.

Liberty

France 24 held a debate on the sensitive issue of banning the burqa and the question of liberty it raises. On the one hand, MP Jaques Maynard, from the ruling Conservative UMF party, argues the ban is to protect a woman's dignity.

Sociologist and author Laurent Chambon disagrees, arguing that the ban aims to impose a dominant French ideology, marginalising minorities. Without a wider look at social inequalities towards women in French society, he argues that the reasoning for the ban - to emancipate women- does not stand up.

Mr Chambon is the co-founder of minoritymedia.org, a multimedia web portal created by and for minority and marginalised groups.

Laurent Chambon interview