A Muslim woman in the French city of Orange has filed a complaint after claiming she was told to remove her Islamic headscarf to vote on Sunday.
In the south-eastern French town of Orange, famous for its Roman theatre, a Muslim woman claims she was the subject of discrimination by electoral officials during the second round of the French presidential vote on Sunday.
The woman said she was forced to remove her headscarf as officials said she did not match her photo identification. She has now filed a complaint, L’Express reports.
The woman, Naima El Omar, told local radio: “The gentleman looked at me with an odd look, and said, ‘Madam, you take off your veil, it’s the law, or you do not vote.’”
“I had a scarf, not even a veil. Shirt, sneakers and jeans,” she added.
According to French law, no person is allowed to vote if they are covering their face with a veil or a mask, as the electoral officials would not be able to identify them. When it comes to headscarves and other religious items, the electoral law does not say they are banned as long as the individual’s face is visible.
In 2010, France banned the full-face Islamic veil, which includes the burqa and the niqab, but the headscarf – or hijab – is still permissible to wear in public.
Last year, French society was deeply divided on another piece of religious attire, the Islamic swimwear known as the “burkini”. Many French saw the garment as an expression of radical Islamism, whilst others felt that it was acceptable under France’s values of freedom of expression.
Several towns attempted to ban the burkini from public beaches including in the southern city of Cannes. The issue was addressed by France’s top courts where the public ban was deemed to be in violation of individual freedom, according to the court.
Despite the court’s ruling, a vast majority of French citizens approved of the ban and only six per cent of those polled last year supported the wearing of the burkini. Whilst supporters of right wing parties were the most vocal about their disapproval, a majority of left wing supporters also did not approve of the garment.
The issue of Islamisation still remains a hot topic in France. Ahead of next month’s legislative elections, the anti-mass migration Front National are expected to make huge gains with a platform firmly against Islamisation.