The French Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill banning the burqa-style Islamic veil on public streets and other places. The Senate voted 246 to 1 in favor of the bill in a final step toward making the ban a law — though it now must pass muster with France's constitutional watchdog. The bill was overwhelmingly passed in July in the lower house, the National Assembly. Many Muslims believe the legislation is one more blow to France's No. 2 religion, and risks raising the level of Islamophobia in a country where mosques are sporadic targets of hate. In an attempt to head off any legal challenges over arguments it tramples on religious and other freedoms, the leaders of both parliamentary houses said they had asked a special body to ensure it passes constitutional muster. The Constitutional Council has one month to rule. The bill is worded to trip safely through legal minefields. For instance, the words “women,” “Muslim” and “veil” are not even mentioned in any of its seven articles. The measure, carried by President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative party, was passed by the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, on July 13. The French parliament wasted no time in working to get a ban in place, opening an inquiry shortly after the French president said in June 2009 that full veils that hide the face are “not welcome” in France. – APFACT FILEn The bill set fines of $185 or citizenship classes for any woman caught covering her face, or both. n It also carries stiff penalties for anyone, such as husbands or brothers, convicted of forcing the veil on a woman. n The $38,400 fine and year in prison are doubled if the victim is a minor. __
