First, a "burqa" is a long overgarment which covers the eyes with a mesh and runs down the body, commonly seen in Afghanistan.
A niqab is the covering much more commonly seen outside of that country, especially among Saudi women etc. It is merely a bit of fabric that covers the lower face: sometimes it also has a strap to cover the forehead, or a thin flip-over veil to cover the eyes.
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I don't think many of the commenters here really understand the level of racism and anti-immigrant action that is pervasive in French culture. I don't think they understand that France shoves these Arab and Asian immigrants into the corners of society and ghettos, and then further marginalizes them by prohibiting them from dressing or worshiping as they please in public, despite not harming anyone with how they dress or worship. There is no "public safety" issue in banning a jewish boy from wearing a kippah in his classroom, and indeed he is religiously obligated to do so, and France did it anyways.
This ban will accomplish nothing except shaming women who voluntarily wear the niqab into staying at home for fear of the police. This law sanctions, if that woman dares venture out of her home dressed in clothing she perceives as decent and modest, arresting and harassing her with male police for "the sake of her equality". This law sanctions, even if they were in no way involved in a woman's choice to wear the niqab (indeed, many young girls wearing it today do so despite the protests of their less-conservative parents), arresting and imprisoning her father or uncle or grandfather on nothing more than the mere suspicion of "coercion".
This is not France moving in the right direction. If France were actually seeking to de-marginalize immigrant women, and give them the opportunity to -choose- to participate in a gender equal society, they'd be working on combating racism and helping immigrants get good work and get out of the ghettos.
Instead they're ordering male cops to arrest women for what they wear. Doesn't sound like "combating oppression" to me, does sound like France further sanctioning racism.