Juppe urges approval of bill banning head scarves

Thursday, February 5, 2004

PARIS -- Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe on Wednesday urged a "massive vote" of approval for a bill that would ban Islamic head scarves in public schools, as Muslims opposed to the measure protested outside the National Assembly. Women in head scarves and other opponents marched to protest the "law on secularism" -- a move seen by supporters as key to maintaining France's cherished separation of church and state. A woman draped from head to toe in a French flag held a sign reading: "I do what I want with my hair," while one of the rally organizers warned the bill would divide France into two camps: "Them and us."

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