AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The head of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood says France’s ban on the Islamic face veil is a war against Muslims.
Hammam Saeed claims the move is a violation of French civil liberties and underlines a “new crusader behavior” against Muslims.
Saeed said in a statement on Tuesday that it “marks the beginning of a dangerous war” between cultures. The Brotherhood’s political arm, the Islamic Action Front, is Jordan’s largest opposition group.
The Brotherhood advocates the introduction of strict Islamic Sharia laws in the country. Jordan is a key U.S. ally in the Mideast and along with Egypt is the only nation in the region with a peace treaty with Israel.
The first government-imposed ban on the face veil took effect in France on Monday.