Division has arisen in the Italian government is response to calls for debate on the controversial burka ban idea which has made headlines this week in France.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy voiced his support for the outlawing of burkas and niqabs across public services and state operated services inside France but this notion has met with strong opposition from his Italian counterparts.

According to Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister, the ban was inappropriate in principle and called for better methods for handling integration for immigrants rather than legal prohibitions on cultural traditions. Frattini urged the Italian government to find a suitable compromise between respecting security and respecting religion.

However, Mara Carfagna, the Italian Equal Opportunity Minister, declared that she was in total support of the French initiative and stated that all European countries should be moving towards adopting similar measures. Carfagna claimed that neither the niqab nor the burka are religious symbols and that both should be banned. The minister said that a working group would be established to focus on providing immigrant women the best solution to the issue which Carfagna called a battle for the rights and dignity of females.

Italian law dating back to 1975 is the only existing legislation with any legal reference to veils as it stipulates that the face should not be completely covered – be it by helmet, mask or veil – to ensure that public order is maintained. A bill was put before the Italian parliament last October by the right-wing Northern League but has yet to be examined by members.

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