What Happened to Liberte'?

On April 11, 2011 France banned the Burqa, the head to toe garment with a mesh screen to look through and the niqab, the face curtain with slits for the eyes to see where one is going.  Of course these are two wearing apparel items worn by some Muslim women.  Women who continue to wear these items can be arrested and fined 150 Euros.  No jail.  This applies to visitors as well.  There are five million Muslims (give or take) in France and reportedly between 350 and 2000 women might be affected by this new burqa, niqab law.  It is somewhat surprising that most French women who cover their faces for religious reasons in France are young and many are converts to Islam.  Even more are second, third or fourth generation French citizens. They love France and have no intention of moving.  People who force a woman to cover her face are subject to one year in prison and a 30,000 Euro fine. How ironic.  Now a body of mostly men and most probably white ones are trying to force a dress code on women who are all of a certain religion.  Is there a fine for that? No, I did not think so. Public opinion in Paris is mixed on this unusual law.  There is an organization, a French one, that is offering to pay the fines for anyone who chooses to cover her face. That is if she is arrested by gendarmes who I would think have much better things to do, than to harass women who are not hurting anyone or anything. The Qu'ran does not speak of face coverings as part of Islam.
So what is Sarkozy afraid of? Terrorism, Immigrants and Islam, that's what. But this is no way to fight back.
He is being ridiculed  by many in other parts of the world.  The head scarf, or hijab has already been banned in schools some years back. Whether one agrees or not is irrelevant.  An individual has the right to dress as he or she sees fit unless it impedes the rights of others. Sarkozy says that this law protects French society.  From what?  To me it is just a another way to say 'we do not like Muslims', just the way we did not like the Roma, and we are not going to accept them into French society.
Spain and Holland are considering following suit in this law.
Syria has banned the veil in public universities.
I  think this law will cause more trouble than Sarkozy ever dreamed of.