Should we follow France's lead and ban face coverings?

Yes they should be banned. I always feel nervous when I see a veiled person, especially on a bus, and wonder who is inside the covering!

I wonder what would happen if chimpanzees [or other apes] had their faces covered? I would imagine it would result in them becoming violent towards each other. It doesn't seem natural for us [as a species] to not use facial expressions.

I agree with what has been said by everybody. I have come across this as a Speaking Examiner for ESOL. We always ask them to remove the burka during the test and no-one has ever refused me but I believe my male colleagues have met with some opposition. As the students are examined in pairs and their partner could well be European or any nationality it is important that the face should be visible when speaking with each other both for audibility and body language which is so important in our communication with others.

As I understand it the burka totally covers the face with netting over the eye area, the niqab is the one we occasionally see round here which leaves just the eyes showing and the hijab, which is the head covering leaving the face exposed.

At least that's my understanding. In the West Midlands see mostly the hijab and a few niqabs, but only very rarely the burka.

I love seeing Muslim women wearing their head coverings [can't remember what one is called which] but every time I've seen a woman with everything except her eyes covered it has actually made me jump and feel very uncomfortable in an instinctive sort of way. We are social animals and use facial expressions as part of our communication and it's wrong not to be able to see someones face.

ps I think they're the first - haven't checked that.

I agree too.
I think the reason why France is the first non-muslim European country to ban face covering is that they have the biggest percentage of Muslims - nearly 10%. So it's a bigger problem for them.

According to an article by Dominic Kennedy in today's Times, Taj Hargey –who is, according to Kennedy, "a prominent imam" – "brands" the Muslim face veil as an "archaic tribal rag" and, the article says, Hargey "condemns the veil as an imported Saudi fad that should be rejected for religious, social, sexist, security and health reasons."

Liberty, on the other hand, seems to be talking bollocks, saying that the veil has "nothing to do with gender equality and everything to do with ... racism in western Europe".
Dear Liberty, if the veil, as you call it, has nothing to do with gender equality, how come men don't wear it?

I too think they should be banned for all the above reasons.
If everyone wore a face veil we would be like zombies.

Totally agree with banning them here.

I agree with everyone but, especially, NFK.

I agree. I find talking to someone when you can't see their facial expression or mouth very difficult. I feel exposed as they can read my face while they stay hidden. It may be ok if you know the person hiding in there, but a stranger? This applies equally to motor cycle helmets, hoodies and veils. I don't have a problem asking the first two to uncover and have done without causing offence but a veiled stranger? Personally I avoid them if at all possible.

Also, suffering from tinnitus and minor age related deafness as many of us do, I find it extremely difficult to hear their speech - it's muffled and I can't read their lips. Lip reading for the totalling deaf is incredibly difficulty but a lot of people partially lip read - sometimes without realising.

I do think that the wearing of these face coverings is wholly inappropriate to our society.

I agree they should be banned. As Taj Hargey states the Koran merely states that a woman should dress modestly. What happens if a woman wearing a face veil walks into a bank or building society - does she have to remove the veil? I would not be allowed into one of these institutions with my face covered.

as important as speech

I think we should because I agree with the ECHR ruling that seeing faces is a public right and a benefit to society as one of our ways of communicating with each other (was important as speech), that face-coverings raise security issues and no particular kinds of face-coverings should be exempt from others, and that burqas are degrading to women.