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Summary
The architect of France's burka ban was about to convert to Islam to marry his secret Muslim girlfriend, reports said. Eric Besson, the country's 51-year-old immigration minister, has admitted the relationship with Yasmine Tordjman, a Paris art student less than half his age. The French media has aired the likelihood Mr Besson, the hardline conservative, to convert to Islam to marry his girlfriend. The revelation comes as - tipped as a future prime minister - spearheads a campaign against non-Christian religions and cultures swamping France. He has called for Islamic head coverings such as the burka to be outlawed and wants potential immigrants to take French tests and swear allegiance to the Republic. His policies apply particularly to those arriving from Muslim countries, who do not share the same values as France's predominantly Roman Catholic population. Miss Tordjman, who is in her early 20s, comes from a prominent family of Tunisian Muslims connected to the country's former president, Habib Bourguiba. Before Christmas, divorced father-of-three Mr Besson travelled to the North African country to meet her mother, prompting speculation he would marry in June.
