Far-right French leader demands sweeping headscarf ban

By Alaattin Dogru

PARIS (AA) – The head of France’s far-right National Front party called Sunday for a nationwide ban on the wearing of Muslim headscarves in public spaces.

Marine Le Pen made the comments while answering reporters’ questions on the “Grand Jury” TV program.

Le Pen underlined that there has been a rapid increase in the number of women wearing headscarves in France since 1989, adding “the veil has accompanied the rise of Islamism in our country.”

She claimed that a “war” is being waged against the country and they should respond.

"We declare this war against not a state, but an ideology -- Islamism,” she added.

Arguing that the Islamist ideology should be seen as the enemy of France, Le Pen called for the prohibition of organizations supporting it, the closure of mosques and the deporting of foreigners.

On France’s recalling its ambassador in Ankara following remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about his French counterpart, she said it was an important but not strong reaction.

On Saturday, Erdogan responded to French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks in which the latter had accused Muslims of "separatism" and described Islam as "a religion in crisis all over the world."

The Turkish president said: “What is Macron’s problem with Islam? What is his problem with Muslims? He needs a mental health check. What else can we say to a president who does not understand freedom of belief and behaves in this way to millions of people living in his country who are members of a different faith?”

*Writing by Gozde Bayar