Paris, April 10: French police have arrested 59 people in Paris for participating in protests against the ban on the Muslim veil — known as the burqa or niqab.
Protests on Saturday came two days before French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s burqa ban goes into effect, Reuters reported.
According to a police spokesman, among those arrested at the Place de la Nation in eastern Paris were 20 burqa-wearing protesters.
The new law forbids wearing the full veil in public and bears a fine of USD 216.
Muslims argue that the legislation discriminates against France’s Muslim population, which is already facing rising level of Islamophobia.
However, supporters of the ban argue that the veil hides women’s faces and thus violates the ideals of secularism and equality.
On Monday, French Interior Minister Claude Gueant referred to the number of Muslims in the country as a problem, during a debate that was opened on the role of Islam in French society.
Leaders of various faiths in France voiced opposition to the debate in a joint statement, saying that it could fuel racial prejudice and stigmatize Muslims.
France is home to over five million Muslims.
——–Agencies