The Muslim Brotherhood of Jordan on Monday slammed a French ban on women wearing full face-face veils in public, calling the measure the "beginning of a dangerous battle".

Hammad Said, head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, said the ban "was contrary to the human rights principles" that France takes pride in.

"We see (in this ban) a neo-crusading attitude towards Muslims in the world, which constitutes the beginning of a dangerous battle," he told AFP. "This decision attacks Islam and Muslims worldwide."

Said labelled the measure a "violation of a fundamental right", arguing that "if women are allowed to undress at the beach, they should also be allowed to cover up and wear the niqab".

The new law, which affects women who wear full-face veils such as the burqa or the niqab, came into effect Monday and represents the first of its kind to be enforced in Europe.

French officials estimate that only around 2,000 women, from a total Muslim population estimated at between four and six million, wear the full-face veils that are traditional in parts of Arab world and South Asia.