Brussels, 17/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - The ban on wearing the full Islamic veil covering the whole face will not lead to the development of a form of terrorist radicalisation, said Gilles de Kerchove of Belgium, the European coordinator for combating terrorism, speaking on Wednesday 15 September. In his view, the fact that France has recently chosen to ban the burqa must not be seen as discrimination against Muslims and still less as a factor which rallies young Muslims to the terrorist cause. During a conference in Brussels, the EU counter-terrorist coordinator said that “conditions leading to radicalisation include the lack of integration and discrimination. But that is not the case here”. “On the other hand”, he explained, “there are values that must be respected, such as equality between men and women, and on such issues we shall never make any compromises”. During a final vote by the Senate on Tuesday, the French parliament definitively adopted the draft law prohibiting the wearing of the niqab - which fully covers the face including the eyes - and the burqa - which covers the whole of the body - in public areas. The law, which has still to be closely examined by the constitutional council, is expected to take effect in 2011. France is the first country in Europe to have adopted this kind of ban, as the political situation in Belgium prevents the same kind of law from being passed. (B.C./transl.jl)