CAIRO, Feb 10: The passage by France's National Assembly on Tuesday of a bill to ban the Muslim headscarf from state schools has angered many in the Arab world, who say the law will damage France's image in the region.

The number two of Egypt's influential Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Habib, warned that the adoption of the draft would "negatively affect the attitudes of Arabs and Muslims with respect to France and the French government.

"We would have preferred that the French parliament not adopt this bill and that the French government respect the feelings of Arabs and Muslims, as wearing the veil is an obligation in the Islamic faith," he said.

Mohammad Habib, the deputy spiritual leader of the partly banned movement, noted that Paris had previously enjoyed a positive image in the region "due to its political positions, especially with respect to the Palestinian cause".

The initiative - put forward by French President Jacques Chirac's ruling centre-right party and supported by the left-wing opposition Socialists after a compromise deal - faced opposition from some Muslims and human rights groups. It will now go on to the parliament's upper house, the Senate, for review and further amendments.

In a statement published on Tuesday, students at Egypt's Alexandria University cautioned: "France's image will be severely altered if the law is passed." Students demonstrated at the university on Monday, calling for a boycott on French products, the French university and French schools. -AFP