France's Burqa Ban Upheld By European Rights Court

The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday upheld France's ban on wearing full-face veils in public, a blow to the right of religious expression for Muslims in Europe.

France imposed the ban on the veils- including burqas and niqabs- three years ago, arguing they jeopardize public safety by concealing the wearer's face, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Though the ban was upheld, the court concluded that safety concerns were not a good enough reason for France to outlaw the garments. Instead, the course sided with France's other argument that the law enforces social unity.

"The Court emphasized that respect for the conditions of 'living together' was a legitimate aim for the measure at issue," the court said according to the WSJ.

An estimated 2,000 Muslim women in France wear burqas, a loose-fitting garb that covers the entire body with a mesh-like material covering the eyes, according to the Interior Ministry in Paris. Burqas are different from niqabs, which are veils that leave only the eyes visible.

The case was filed by a French Muslim woman, a 24-year-old identified only as S.A.S., who claimed she willingly chooses to wear a niqab or burqa without pressure from her family. As a result of the law, the government restricted her right to religious expression and exposed her to harassment from the public, S.A.S. argued.

Other opponents argued the law was the result of the European nation's anti-Muslim sentiments.

But the court in Strasbourg, France concluded the ban did not violate the European Convention on Human Rights, according to The New York Times. The ruling also supports a similar ban Belgium passed shortly after former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did in 2010.

"French authorities take note of this [ruling] with satisfaction," Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said on Tuesday, the WSJ reported.

The ban indicates France's support for gender equality, Nadal added.