Muslim woman thrown out of Paris opera for wearing veil

A Muslim woman wearing a veil was asked to leave a Paris opera house after the cast objected to her garb, the theater’s deputy director said.

Cast members who noticed the woman sitting in the front row with a male companion refused to continue the performance unless the woman removed her veil or left the theater.

The woman was wearing a traditional Muslim veil, called a niqab, that covers the face and hair and leaves only the eyes exposed. Wearing the veil is illegal in public places in France.

Opera Bastille deputy director Jean-Philippe Thiellay confirmed Sunday that the incident took place during the October 3 performance of “La Traviata.”

“I was alerted in the second act,” Thiellay told AFP, adding that “some performers said they did not want to sing.”

During the intermission, the couple was approached by an attendant who “told her that in France there is a ban of this nature, asked her to either uncover her face or leave the room. The man asked the woman to get up, they left,” Thiellay said.

“It’s never nice to ask someone to leave… But there was a misunderstanding of the law and the lady either had to respect it or leave,” he said.

French media sources reported that the two were tourists from one of the Gulf states.

A controversial French law passed in 2011 prohibits the wearing of any face coverings in public places, including stores, schools, museums and public transportation. Although the law is not fully enforced, those who conceal their faces in public can face a 150 euro fine.

In response to the incident, France’s Ministry of Culture said it is “producing a new set of rules” to clarify procedures for cultural institutions which want to enforce the ban on veils, according to the Daily Mail.