French lawmakers approve burqa ban French lawmakers have ratified a legislation to prohibit women from wearing face-covering veils despite right activist saying such a law violates personal and religious freedoms. The Senate voted 246 to 1 in favor of the bill, which has already cleared the lower chamber, the National Assembly, reported AFP. The law will come into effect if the Constitutional Council does not question its legality. Muslims argue that the legislation is going to discriminates against France's Muslim population, which is already facing rising level of Islamophobia. Once in place, the law will allow authorities to arrest and fine those women who defy the ban. A woman who continues wearing veils will receive a fine of EUR 150 (USD 195) or a course of citizenship lessons. A man who forces a woman to go veiled will be fined EUR 30,000 and imprisonment. France is home to the largest Muslim population among the 27 European Union member states. Nearly 10 percent of the 62 million people living in French is Muslim. In June, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) unanimously voted against any general ban against burqa or niqab in Europe, saying Muslim women should be free to choose their clothing. Article Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142540.html Show Less >>