French Parliament Continues to Amaze
By Ayesha N. Rashid
Richmond, Virginia

Editor, Times-Dispatch: France does not cease to amaze. From French fashion to anti-Muslim laws, everything that is "made in France" is unique in nature. A shrewd French parliamentary committee has recommended a partial ban on veils, citing veils as a threat to the "values of the Republic."

Is it possible that the mere 1,900 French Muslim women who choose the veil are a threat? This intrusive ban takes away their right of using public transportation, hospitals, schools, and government offices while wearing the niqab. In other words, it infringes on the basic human rights of those 1,900 women whose personal choice is to cover their faces.

A ban on the choice of clothing does not suit a place known as the fashion capital of the world. It seems French values prefer half-naked women on the catwalk to women who choose to cover themselves in the walk of life.

Link to original Article: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/letters/article/ED-RASH10_20100209-181408/323152/