The cast refused to perform after this "lady" was spotted, sitting right behind the conductor in the most expensive section of seats. That bondage garb has no place in a free society. good for them! TM



A woman in niqab, a traditional Muslim veil, was asked to leave the opera in Paris after the cast said they wouldn’t perform if a solution wasn’t found. She had to leave the auditorium, because wearing a veil covering the whole face is banned in France.

The incident happened during the performance of La Traviata at Opera Bastille in Paris on October 3, Jean-Philippe Thiellay the opera house’s deputy director, told AFP.

The fuss blew on Sunday, October 19, in French media.

The woman and her companion, tourists from one of the Gulf States, were sitting just behind the conductor and were visible to monitors. Their seats were reportedly the most expensive in the opera, costing 231 euros ($294) each.

The woman was wearing a niqab, a veil that covers her face and hair. It only leaves the eyes and part of the forehead visible.

She was unnoticed by the opera house’s personnel when she entered the auditorium. Thiellay said that he “was alerted in the second act by a singer," who spotted her in the front row.

"Some performers said they didn’t want to sing," if it wasn’t sorted out, he added. They didn’t like performing for a faceless audience member, reported Metronews, citing Thiellay.

http://rt.com/news/197348-france-woman-niqab-opera/