When the French refer to the burqa, they do not mean the Afghan outfit, with a cloth grille over the eyes, which is not seen in France; they mean the niqab, the head-to-toe covering that leaves a narrow slit open for the eyes, which is traditionally found in the Gulf. Ten years ago, even this garment was virtually unknown in France, since most French Muslims originate from North Africa, where traditionalists cover only the hair, not the face. Today, according to intelligence estimates, some thousand women wear the niqab in France.Yet today's concerns about the niqab go far beyond secularism. "The burqa is not a religious sign," Mr Sarkozy said last year, "but rather a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement of women". One by one, French Muslim figures have filed in to state that, as Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Paris Mosque put it, "Neither the burqa, nor the niqab, nor any all-over veil, are religious prescriptions of Islam."However, a ban would still be controversial. The opposition Socialist Party opposes the burqa but frets that outlawing it may be counterproductive. The French Council of the Muslim Faith, an official body, fears that a ban would stigmatize Islam. Some argue that a ban would play into the hands of those who spread hard-line propaganda. Others worry that women, who are often under domestic pressure to wear the burqa, would be unfairly punished. "France would be the only country in the world that sends its policemen to stop young women on the streets, who are victims more than they are guilty", wrote Laurent Joffrin, editor of Liberation.France is likely to come in for much outside criticism for its burqa ban. It will be accused of illiberalism, and disregard for freedom of expression, or of imposing a Western interpretation of women's oppression. In his speech in Cairo last year, America's Barack Obama said, "It is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit - for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear". Yet all liberal democracies have to make compromises to balance freedom and security. France will argue that this is not a campaign against Islam, but an effort to uphold its values when they are being tested as never before. The world may not see it that way.Select the correct answer option based on the passage.Why is there an opposition by Socialist Party to ban the burqa in France?OPTIONS It will elevate the status of women The party cares about sentiments of citizens The ban might backfire on the country, and its people