[28 January 2010 by A. D. McKenzie, IPS] With the French regional elections coming up in March and a debate on national identity raging, the burqa polemic is keeping the immigration and "values" issue alive here.

Can one wear a burqa and still be French? Can a burqa-clad immigrant be integrated? The government’s answer appears to be "no", as a French parliamentary report this week called for a partial ban on the burqa, saying that it constituted a "challenge" to the French republic and that this was "unacceptable".

The report, which came after six months of official deliberation, recommends that the burqa, or full veil, be prohibited in schools, hospitals, government offices and public transportation. This would mean, for example, that a bus driver can refuse to accept a passenger dressed in a burqa.

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