Editing Burqa (section)

====France====
{{Main|French ban on face covering}}
Wearing the burqa has not been allowed in French public schools since 2004, when it was judged to be a religious symbol, similar to the Christian cross, and was outlawed for wear within schools as an application of an established 1905 law that prohibits students and staff from wearing any clearly visible religious symbols. The law relates to the time where the [[Secularism in France|secular French state]] took over control of most schools from the [[Catholic Church]]; it does not apply to private or religious schools. This was followed on 22 June 2009, when the then-President of France, [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], said that burqas were "not welcome" in France, commenting that "In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity".<ref>{{cite news|title=Nicolas Sarkozy: burqa not welcome in France|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=22 June 2009|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/5603070/Nicolas-Sarkozy-burqa-not-welcome-in-France.html|access-date=23 August 2010|location=London|first1=Our|last1=Foreign|archive-date=2 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602110948/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/5603070/Nicolas-Sarkozy-burqa-not-welcome-in-France.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[French National Assembly]] appointed 32 lawmakers from right- and left-wing parties to a six-month fact-finding mission to look at ways of restricting its use.<ref>{{cite news|title=France sets up burka commission|work=BBC News|date=23 June 2009|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8114590.stm|access-date=27 April 2010|archive-date=10 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010032954/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8114590.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> On 26 January 2010, the commission reported that access to public services and public transport should be barred to those wearing the burqa. On 13 July 2010, the Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill banning burqas and niqabs.<ref>{{cite news|last=Doland|first=Angela|title=France Burqa Ban: French Parliament Approves Ban on Face Veils|work=The Huffington Post|date=13 July 2010|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/france-burqa-ban-french-p_n_644433.html|access-date=23 August 2010|archive-date=8 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100908022858/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/france-burqa-ban-french-p_n_644433.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 14 September 2010, the [[French Senate]] overwhelmingly [[French ban on face covering|approved a ban]] on burqas in public, with the law becoming effective beginning on 11 April 2011. When the measure was sent in May to the parliament, it was stated that "Given the damage it produces on those rules which allow the life in community, ensure the dignity of the person and equality between sexes, this practice, even if it is voluntary, cannot be tolerated in any public place".<ref>French Senate Approves Burqa Ban (CNN)</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/14/france.burqa.ban/index.html?hpt=T2|title=CNN – French Senate approves burqa ban|publisher=CNN|date=15 September 2010|access-date=15 December 2011|archive-date=8 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108170638/http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/14/france.burqa.ban/index.html?hpt=T2|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ban is officially called "The bill to forbid concealing one's face in public". "It refers neither to Islam nor to veils. Officials insist the law against face-covering is not discriminatory because it would apply to everyone, not just Muslims. They cite a host of exceptions, including motorcycle helmets, or masks for health reasons, fencing, skiing or carnivals".<ref>{{cite news|last=Doland|first=Angela|title=France Burqa Ban: French Parliament Approves Ban on Face Veils|work=The Huffington Post|date=13 July 2010|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/france-burqa-ban-french-p_n_644433.html|access-date=10 February 2011|archive-date=8 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100908022858/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/france-burqa-ban-french-p_n_644433.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2014, the [[European Court of Human Rights]] upheld the French ban on burqa, accepting the argument of the French government that the law was based on "a certain idea of living together".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/france-burqa-ban-upheld-human-rights-court|title=France's burqa ban upheld by human rights court|first=Kim|last=Willsher|date=1 July 2014|access-date=25 August 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|archive-date=4 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104085600/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/france-burqa-ban-upheld-human-rights-court|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28106900|title=European Court upholds French full veil ban - BBC News|access-date=25 August 2016|work=BBC News|date=July 2014|archive-date=23 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023120516/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28106900|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2022, France's top administrative court ruled against allowing body-covering "burkini" swimwear in public pools for religious reasons, arguing that it violates the principle of government neutrality toward religion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magnenet |first=Jean-Christophe |date=June 22, 2022 |title=French court rules against 'burkini' swimwear for religious reasons |website=[[NBC News]] |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/france-court-rules-burkini-swimwear-religious-reasons-rcna34833}}</ref>