Sarkozy tells lawmakers to prepare burqa bill

Paris: French President Nicolas Sarkozy told lawmakers on Wednesday  that parliament should pass a bill banning the full Islamic veil but said the measure must be handled carefully so as not to stigmatise Muslims.

Sarkozy called on members of the National Assembly to first adopt a resolution that would unequivocally condemn the wearing of the head-to-toe burqa as an affront to women's rights.

"Parliament will then have to debate a draft bill that is adapted to the situation," he said at the meeting with lawmakers at the Elysee presidential palace.

Re-stating that the full veil is not "welcome in France," Sarkozy cautioned that any new legislation must be able to stand up to legal challenges in court.

"We must be careful and not offer an opportunity to the opponents of democracy, dignity and gender equality to score a victory, which would place our society in a very difficult situation," he said.

"It is essential that no one feels stigmatised" by the new law, Sarkozy said.

A parliamentary commission that has been holding hearings on whether to ban the full veil, known as the niqab or burqa, is due to present its much-awaited report on January 26.