Sarkozy: Discretion needed in practicing religion

Paris: President Nicolas Sarkozy says that religious believers should practice their faith "with humble discretion" as a sign of respect for others.

Sarkozy says the Swiss "no" to minarets on Muslim mosques in a recent referendum is not a bid to deny essential freedoms to Muslims but reflects an ebbing of a sense of belonging, and identity, in a globalised world.

Writing in Le Monde on Tuesday, he said believers should guard against "all ostentation." He appeared to be referring to Muslim women who wear all-enveloping veils such as the burqa, a practice Sarkozy opposes.

The French president used outrage over the Swiss vote to explain the need for a national debate on the French identity that started last month. Legislators take up the debate on Tuesday.