The French Senate voted 246-1 Tuesday to make it illegal for women to wear garments that cover their entire faces. The law, if greenlighted by a constitutional body, will affect only a few thousand people, but its implications for religious freedom and women’s rights have attracted international interest.

BBC:

The bill makes it illegal to wear garments such as the niqab or burqa, which incorporate a full-face veil, anywhere in public.

It envisages fines of 150 euros (£119) for women who break the law and 30,000 euros and a one-year jail term for men who force their wives to wear the burqa.

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