'Why are the French banning headscarves?'

UK-based South Asian community leaders have joined other religious and human rights campaigners to warn that a new French law banning the wearing of the Islamic headscarf could fuel rightwing extremism in Britain.

The French legislation outlawing conspicuous religious clothing and symbols in schools won overwhelming backing from legislators in Paris and is expected to be implemented from September.

Besides headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses will also be banned. The new law is primarily aimed at Muslims wearing the hijab. Pupils violating the law face suspension or expulsion.

The French government has argued that the law is needed to protect France's secular traditions in schools and to ward off rising Islamic fundamentalism in the country, which has five million Muslims.

But protests from across the world have highlighted criticism that it infringes religious freedom.

As religious leaders in Britain earlier this week joined human rights campaigners to condemn the plans, Shami Chakrabarti, director of the campaign group Liberty, said, "Unjust and illiberal laws are being used to discriminate. Injustice does not help the war against terror. Injustice breeds a sense that democracy and the rule of law has failed."

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Bary Malik, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Bradford, commented, "In Islam to cover your head is a mark of respect in the same way in Western society people show respect by taking their hat off. This is an attack on other people's culture, denying them the right to live the way they want.

"It is an extremist step and it will encourage the Far Right. You expect it from them, but not the government of France and I hope it does not encourage other countries to follow."

Lord Janner, vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, said the vote was 'a sad decision'. "In a multicultural society, citizens should be free to wear whatever appropriate religious symbols they wish," he said.

He was supported by London mayor Ken Livingstone, who said, "President Jacques Chirac is playing a terribly, terribly dangerous game in the same way that many politicians felt they could pander to Hitler in the 20s."

"The only way to defeat Fascism in Europe is to stand against every demand they make. It is an anti-Muslim measure and will stir up anti-Muslim pressure."

Mejindarpal Kaur, director of the United Sikhs, said, "The fact that we are here in the 21st century looking for rights that we thought we had years ago leaves us speechless."