France’s burkha ban is being pressed to the limit as nonconformists ignore the laws. Two incidents on Wednesday are revealing what an incendiary issue the law imposes; first of all, two men attacked a 21-year-old pregnant woman for veiling her face; they forcibly ripped the veil and tore her hair. The attack happened in Argenteuil, which is north west of the capital. The woman was subsequently hospitalized for undisclosed injuries.
Police later attempted to arrest a second woman for wearing a veil, at which point passersby formed a riot, attacking police, who resorted to tear gas and flash-balls to disperse the crowd.
“The police were attacked,” a source told Le Parisien newspaper, “They were insulted and beaten, including punches.” Two men were arrested, aged 23 and 27, one of them a cousin of the veiled woman. 60 people in all attacked police, showing the sort of unrest all cultures within cultures have when a strong religious affiliation inspires rejection of local laws and customs.
In this case, the law is a burkha ban under former president Sarkozy, who said face covering was an affront to the principles of the French Republic. Those wearing niqabs publicly can be fined the equivalent of about $200 dollars.