Euro-MP condemns French Government for continuing with ban on Articles of faith

5.00.00pm GMT Fri 19th Mar 2004

West Midlands Euro-MP Liz Lynne has today condemned the French Government's conformation that Sikh Turbans will be banned in public schools and the workplace from September as part of their ban on articles of faith.

The French Ministry of Education had previously indicated that Sikh Turbans were considered traditional dress not religious and therefore would not be banned.

Speaking following the announcement the Liberal Democrat MEP said:

"The French Government are in a mess over the ban. The confusion over what people will and wont be allowed to wear remains just three months from when the law is due to be inforced. The initial idea that you could divide dress by either calling it traditional or religious was absolutely ridiculous. All this confusion highlights how unworkable the ban really is and I hope it will persuade other countries not to introduce similar legislation.

"This is not a time to divide our communities which this law will do. Pupils will also be faced with a decision of disobeying their religious beliefs or compromising their education.

"This law breaches the fundamental rights all Europeans have to religious freedom and should be challenged in the European Court of Human Rights. I will continue to campaign against this ban because other countries are following France's lead. Some states in Germany have banned civil servants, teachers, and emergency service workers from wearing articles of faith.

"My petition against the French ban has received over 4,000 signatures so far, from people across the West Midlands and across all faiths, who believe this ban contravenes basic human rights."