Paris on Tuesday brushed off a US State Department report that criticised France for banning Muslim women from wearing full veils.
"Our conception of secularism is a common heritage of all French people, which implies rules that encourage social harmony in the public space and in public schools," said a foreign ministry spokesman.
In its 2011 International Religious Freedom Report, the State Department complains about a "rising number of European countries, including Belgium and France, whose laws restricting dress adversely affected Muslims and others" [AFP] Read more
