I find this wrong on so many levels.
It’s incredible what apparently can be hidden behind the smokescreen of words.
This is not about the oppression of women, for security reasons or to combat fraud; it will do little but cause offence and outrage to French Muslims (at the very least) and give those sections of society who harbour anti-Muslim sentiment the message that, yes, Muslims are definitely beneath them in every way.
And even if they wheel out public concerns about preventing racist attacks on the obviously Muslim population or about security concerns regarding facial concealment, it’s all still a smokescreen. A thick, bitter and acrid smokescreen.