The French are preparing to sail themselves into unchartered waters when the ban on wearing the Muslim burqa and other Islamic face coverings in public places comes into effect in just over a month. Racial tensions in that country have already begun to boil with the John Galliano “I love Hitler” incident. This will be interesting.

“The French Republic lives in a bare-headed fashion,” declared French Prime Minister Francois Fillon last week in an official government newspaper explaining the law.

Though this seems like a case for the human rights people, the French government covered themselves well with this one-liner explaining how they interpret the said wearing: “[It’s] a new form of enslavement that the republic cannot accept on its soil.” Spicy.

The April 11 date sets out strict penalties to be enforced although even the French are sceptical about exactly how this will be done. A fine of about R1500 is designated for actual burqa wearing at this stage, exchangeable with community service as an alternative.

Forcing a woman to wear a niqab or a burqa is punishable by a year in prison and a R300 000 fine and forcing a minor to do the same thing will net you two years in prison and R600 000 fine.

The ban encompasses the burqa, a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face, and the niqab, a full-face veil that leaves an opening only for the eyes.

Apparently not banned by the law is the hijab, which covers the hair and neck but not the face, and the chador, which covers the body but not the face.

Either way, as one of the world’s most multicultural destinations, the French are surely going to sail through some rough patches it would seem.

[Source: CNN]