Le Pen Vows to Fine Muslim Women Who Wear Hijab

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen announced on Thursday that if elected in the presidential election, her government will impose fine on women wearing Islamic headscarf.

Le Pen made the announcement during an interview with radio station RTL, where she said that a majority of the French population “supports a ban on the hijab in public”, and compared the introduction of a penalty on the headscarf to fining people for not putting a seat belt on.

“It’s a measure that the French people have been asking for, with 85 percent of the population wishing to no longer see the wearing of the headscarf in the streets,” she said.

“[French people] have understood that in the last two decades that the headscarf has been used by Islamists as a uniform, as an advanced demonstration of fundamental Islam,” Le Pen claimed.

However, the presidential candidate, who was recently photographed with a hijab-wearing girl during her election campaign, insisted that no one would be arrested for wearing the headscarf, despite her proposed ban.

Le Pen is the leader of the National Rally, formally known as the National Front, which was founded by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen.

The party is known for its far-right and anti-immigration rhetoric.

France’s election campaigns have been marked by increased Islamophobia from candidates across most political parties, including far-right candidate Eric Zemmour.

Current president Emmanuel Macron has also put forward several policies which target religious freedom, with Muslims being the most affected.