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French senate passes face-veil ban

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he French senate has voted in favour of a bill to ban face-covering veils in public, a proposal that has sparked fierce debate in a country that is home to Western Europe’s largest Muslim population.

Senators approved the measure by 246 votes to one, with most opposition senators abstaining in protest.

The law has already been passed by the national assembly but still has to be vetted by the constitutional council, France’s highest legal body.

Critics of the proposed law hope that the council will overturn the bill.

Some rights groups have voiced concerns that the legislation risks raising Islamophobia, in a country where some Muslim women already face harrassment for wearing the veil.

If implemented, women caught wearing face veils in public places, including streets, markets, government buildings, private businesses and public transport would be fined $190.

Continue Reading at Al Jazeera English.

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