Veiled Woman Kicked Out Of Paris Opera After Cast Refuses To Perform

Full face coverings, like the burqa and niqab, have been banned by France in public places since 2011, and there is a fine for violating said ban. When it first passed, there was the usual outcry from conservative Muslims and liberals, saying these women should have the right to wear niqabs if they choose, but the ban prevailed.  We really haven't heard much regarding the issue until now.

Apparently, some cast members of the Paris Bastille Opera spotted a woman in full niqab regalia during a performance of La Traviata, and refused to continue performing.

'A singer spotted her in the front row during the second act,' said Jean-Philippe Thiellay, director of the Bastille Opera, which was opened by Socialist president Francois Mitterand in 1989.

'Some performers said they didn't want to sing."

The woman is thought to hail from one of the Gulf States, and was there with a friend. She was informed about the ban by a security guard, asked to remove the veil, and when she refused, she was kicked out. According to Thiellay, "It was unpleasant getting her to leave."

Naturally, the liberal arts community has condemned the decision.

'What possible harm could a woman sitting quietly in the audience with face covered do to anyone?' said Guy Laurent, a regular at the Bastille Opera.

'The woman would clearly have felt utterly humiliated by what happened – French culture should be more tolerant.

'It is not the job of theatres to enforce petty laws.'

The women did not receive a refund.

As a result of this latest brouhaha, the government plans on revisiting the law:

A spokesman for France's Ministry of Culture today said it was 'producing a new set of rules' to make sure the so-called 'burka ban' was better enforced in theatres, museums and other public institutions.

If Westerners are expected to adhere to the dress code in Muslim majority countries, then Muslims should do the same in western nations. The woman was sitting in a dark theatre, no-one would have seen her. Good on them for tossing her out.

More on the DailyMail.

Afghan President's Wife Backs Niqab Ban In France

When I first read the headline, I was pretty amazed that an Afghan woman would dare back France's niqab ban. But it appears Afghan's new First Lady, Rula Ghani aka Bibi Gul, is not your typical Afghan woman. Apparently, she's actually a Lebanese-American woman, has 5 languages under her belt, and attended the Sciences Po University in Paris, France in the late 1960s, and degrees from the U.S. and Lebanon. Was a reporter for Agence France-Presse for a few years while living in Beirut, and actually only returned to Afghanistan in 2002. She also happens to have been born a Christian, and there is no confirmation whether she converted to Islam or not.

Afghanistan’s cosmopolitan new first lady has backed France’s controversial ban on the niqab, comparing the full veil to “blinders” as she prepares to campaign for more respect for women in her conservative adopted homeland.

Rula Ghani shocked Afghan observers earlier this year when she appeared with her husband during the country’s presidential campaign, a rare example of a political wife sharing the spotlight.

Ghani says of France's niqab ban:

“Regarding the French law against the niqab and burqa which prevent women from being able to move freely and see, because the niqab is a bit like blinders, I am in full agreement with the government of France."

Regarding women's rights in Afghanistan, she hopes that by the time her husband Mohammad Ashraf Ghani's 5-year term ends:

 “men in Afghanistan will be more inclined to recognize whatever role their wives take”.

"In one word, more respect,” she said.

More on Al Arabiya.

I hope she has a slew of trustworthy bodyguards.  I wish them both good luck.