An example is the conflict over the Niqab in France. Since April 2011, it has been illegal to wear a face-obscuring veil such as the Niqab or Burqa. This is a clear case of a clash between multiculturalism and feminism. While some describe the wearing of face-covering veils such as the Burqa or Niqab as sexist and believe it oppresses women, as expressed by the French president when he stated that banning the face veil "is a question of freedom and dignity of women" (Shirbon, 2009). French feminists such as Sihem Habchi have argued that Muslim women have a “right to protection by the republic” (Spohn, 2013). This clearly illustrates key ideas within the multiculturalism vs feminism debate, that individual rights and women's freedom are more important than the cultural rights of a group. However, other groups believe that wearing a face veil is a personal choice and that it is actually anti-feminist to try to prevent women from making that choice. Those who oppose the ban do not ignore the potential of the face veil as an oppressive and patriarchal practice, however, in their view, this is characteristic of many types of dress, across all cultures including Western, and banning the Niqab alone is highly discriminatory (Spohn, 2013). According to them, it is more important to help educate these women in all their options and allow them the true freedom to make a completely rational choice.