France Begins Burqa Ban

Two Women Wearing Burqas

Today, France began its new rules intended on banning burqas:

French police say they arrested two women in Islamic veils for protesting today and not for defying a new burqa ban.
The women were demonstrating outside Notre Dame Cathedral.
The controversial ban covers the head-to-toe burqa that features a face screen.
It also bans the niqab, which leaves eye slits. http://mystateline.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=244556

Time reported that three were arrested for protests, as opposed to two, but for protesting without a permit and not for wearing the burqa. So, it remains to be seen how well this ban will be enforced.

LCG reported the following earlier about the intent of the law:

President Sarkozy’s reason for the law is that “We are an old nation united around a certain idea of human dignity, and in particular of a woman’s dignity, around a certain idea of how to live together.” Muslims comprise approximately 7.5% of the French population (AFP, May 19, 2010).

Europe is starting to get fed-up with aspects of Islam (see also Anti-Islamic PVV Gaining in the Netherlands and Switzerland Votes to Ban Minarets), and anti-burqa laws seem to be part of that.

UPDATE 04/12/2011:

Jordan’s Islamist leader says France’s ban on face veil is war on Muslims

The Canadian Press – ‎12 April 2011

AMMAN, Jordan – The head of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood says France’s ban on the Islamic face veil is a war against Muslims. Hammam Saeed claims the move is a violation of French civil liberties and underlines a “new crusader behaviour” against Muslims.

A divide between Islam and the nominally-Christian Europe is going to become more and more real. Though there will be apparent cooperation (cf. Psalm 83; Daniel 11:27), the two will turn against each other (Daniel 11:40-43).

Four articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What role might non-Arab Iran play?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?