France to ban full Islamic veil from public spaces

Paris: The French government is drawing up a law to ban the full-face Islamic veil from all public spaces, despite a warning from experts that it could face a legal challenge, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The spokesman for President Nicolas Sarkozy's government, Luc Chatel, said the bill would be presented to ministers in May and would go beyond a mere ban on women wearing the niqab and the burqa while dealing with French officials.

"We're legislating for the future. Wearing a full veil is a sign of a community closing in on itself and a rejection of our values," he said.

Last month, the State Council - France's top administrative authority - warned Sarkozy against a full ban on the veil, suggesting instead an order that women uncover their faces for identity checks or for state business.

But there remains broad support in parliament for a full ban and the government is determined to press on with legislation, which it says would affect only around 2,000 Muslim French women who currently cover their faces.