The European Court of Human Rights rejected the claim by a young Muslim woman that France’s ban of burqas and niqabs violates her rights.
The French law banning the burqa, a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face, and the niqab, a full-face veil with an opening for the eyes was passed by the Senate of France on 14 September 2010 and went into effect in April 2011.
The court ruled that the ban was not expressly based on the religious connotations of the full-face veils but solely on the fact that it concealed the face.
The ECHR stressed that the ruling also took into account the state’s belief that the face played a significant role in social interaction.
The Muslim woman, known as S.A.S., told the court she wore the burka and also the niqab in accordance with her religious faith and personal convictions.
She reassured the judges that neither her husband nor any other member of her family had put pressure on her to dress in this manner.
According to the Muslim woman’s lawyers, she is “a perfect French citizen with university education. She speaks of her country with passion. She is a patriot.”