It is also a major diplomatic faux pas by Obama. You don't bypass the head of state when you are in his country.
In Obama's speech in Cairo, he made a veiled slam against France when he said, "Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit - for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear."
Obama is a lightweight and an embarrassment.
You are very correct here. France does prohibit what they call “ostentatious religious dress” in public places.
As an American who believes strongly in the 1st amendment, I have a problem with this. It would ban a Jewish man from wearing a yarmulker (sp?) to school or work in a governmnet job, a woman from wearing a large cross necklace, or an Islamic woman from wearing a headscarf.
I can understand prohibiting the covering of the face. The French see the headscarf as a political statement.
So, you are correct, Obama hates Sarko because he is a conservative, and hates the French for banning the headscarf in public establishmnents.
Funny, Christians are not given that honor.
That's the way it has always been done. But Obama wants to change the rules to emphasize his supremacy...the old ways don't apply to him.