Should burkas be banned?

Have your say on President Sarkozy's announcement here

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that Muslim women should be banned from wearing burkas and other full-body coverings, calling the face-covering outfits a ‘debasement of women’.

In a move that has angered France’s five-million strong Muslim community, President Sarkozy has suggested that the burka is a sign of subservience, and should be banned from the country. France has a long history of banning religious imagery, with a ban on religious head coverings in schools in 2004.

The announcement has caused outrage in France and worldwide, with US President Barack Obama saying that governments should not dictate the way that people dress.

What do you think? Are burkas demeaning to women? Should they be banned?

Have your say by commenting and voting in our poll below…