Burqa-Clad Women Face French Fines as Sarkozy Implements Ban
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A French law banning facial veils in public places goes into effect April 11, with women clad in burqas with their faces covered risking a 150-euro ($214) fine and mandatory lessons on being French.
“No one is allowed to wear a garment that hides the face in public places,” the law, passed in October, proclaims. It will soon be splashed on billboards across France. The government has created a website entitled the “Unmasked Face,” for details on the law, with brochures in English and Arabic to be made available for tourists at French consulates.