French call for veil ban in public buildings

A woman examines Burqas coming from Afghanistan and set up as an art piece called "Disparition" (Disappearance) by French artist Jean Pierre Giovanelli in a Nice art gallery, southeastern France, on Monday. A parliamentary committee studying the issue for the past six months is to turn in its report on Tuesday on whether a law is needed to ban face-covering veils in France. Photo: AP.

The head of a French parliamentary panel says it will not recommend banning face-covering veils in the street.

The panel’s president says that instead it will recommend a ban on veils in public facilities such as hospitals.

The 32-member panel releases a report on Tuesday that culminates a six-month inquiry into the wearing of the veil in France. The work began after President Nicolas Sarkozy said in June that such garb “is not welcome” on French territory.

Andre Gerin, a Communist lawmaker who heads the multi-party panel, said the report proposes to ban such garb in places like schools, hospitals and other public buildings, but not in private buildings or the street.