Ban on burqa, violation of women's rights

The French National Assembly decided on Tuesday to set up an inquiry into the rising number of Muslim women who wear the burqa (traditional veil worn by Muslim women) after President Nicholas Sarkozy spoke out against the full Islamic veil in Parliament. From crucifixes to turbans to the burqa now, across many western countries, there appears to be a discomfort over the overt display of religious identity.
CNN-IBN show Face the Nation debated: Should Muslim women be denied the right to wear the burqa?
The panel included Majlis-e Ittihad al-Muslimin (MIM) Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi; Social Activist and author Sadia Dehlvi and French Journalist Constantin Simon.
The question many are asking is the basis of the statement by President Sarkozy denouncing the burqa as a symbol of subservience. Is it based on the western understanding of the burqa as a symbol of radicalism?
French Journalist Constantin Simon said that he did not think that it was a western attitude.
“It’s a French attitude or behaviour because in France, there are specifics which are not in other western countries. Almost 100 years ago, a clear separation of the state and religion was made in France, which is not the same in other western countries. In the United States, you have ‘In God We Trust’ printed on a bank note but that would not be possible in France. Not at all. Because in France, the state not only has to protect every religion, but also protect many people who considers themselves as non-religious. So that is why Nicholas Sarkozy made this statement against the burqa because in France the burqa in something that is against the rights of women,” defended Simon.
Many say that the argument does hold water in that an overt display of religious symbols runs the fear of ghettoisation or even the possibility of assimilation becomes lesser, and therefore on the long run, could be dangerous and therefore the argument is fair.
Sadia Dehlvi did not agree with the argument. She said, “I think the statement is rather unfortunate and a bit extreme. I think the decision to wear a burqa or not should lie with the woman. I am completely opposed to it if it is the Taliban who are forcing it. That is a form of oppression, and denying women the right to what they want to, even if it is a hijab (head scarf) or a burqa is also a form of oppression.
If you were to see it in the context of France being against an overt display of religious symbols even when it came to the turban and kirpan (curved dagger used by Sikhs) or the crucifixes, would that be acceptable?
Dehlvi thought that it as very much on the same line of banning turbans and banning religious symbols. She went on to say, “Interestingly, even Turkey, which is a Muslim country, has also done it. But, in a country which claims to be a secular and democratic, I think it is an infringement on basic human rights of a woman to dress how she wants to.”