Background on France, the veil, and the ban
A "Middle East Report" article by Paul Silverstein, 30 January 2004 France is in the process of passing a law that would ban "signs and dress that ostensibly denote the religious belonging of students" in public elementary and high schools beginning in the 2004-2005 school year. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the bill on February 3. According to the Ministry of Education, the law would cover all "signs and dress whose wearing leads to the immediate recognition of the [wearer's] religious belonging, which is to say the Islamic veil, whatever name one calls it, the [Jewish] kippa, or a cross...