The French National Assembly is to set up a commission to investigate the wearing of the burka in France.

The investigation will last for six months, after which the committee will make recommendations about whether its use can be restricted. The burka is an item of clothing worn by women in some Islamic traditions and designed to cover their bodies from head to toe.

The decision by the assembly comes one day after French President Nicolas Sarkozy told it that the burka was not a symbol of religious faith but a sign of women's "subservience." He added that the garment was "not welcome" in France because it was a symbol of submission and a limitation of the freedom of women.

In 2004, the debate about burkas and headscarves in France led to a total ban on the wearing of religious symbols in schools.

There are approximately five million Muslims living in France.

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